by S. Leonard Tyler | via The Preceptor, April, 1985
This is a very fundamental and potent question. It strikes at the basic thoughts of whether or not there are divine blessings granted to Christians today through prayer. If God does not hear prayer today, why pray? If He hears but will not answer, what reason is there for prayer? Prayer stems from the desire of one’s heart to be heard and answered. Therefore, if there are no reasons to believe that God will hear and answer, can there be any confidence in prayer? If God hears but will not answer, to me, makes void every divine reason and kills every incentive to pray. Hearing alone kills prayer just as faith alone is dead (James 2:17, 20). It takes reason to believe that God will hear and answer prayer, to have reason to pray. And faith comes by hearing God’s word (Romans 10:17). What does God’s Word say?
Some Bible Teaching Regarding Prayer
Jesus often prayed to His Father. He rose up early, went to a solitary place and prayed (Mark 1:35). He prayed with and for others (Mark 14:32-35; John 12:27-30, 17). There are some fourteen recorded prayers of Jesus in the New Testament. His prayers were not ceremonious speeches, verbal displays or empty forms. They were expressions from His very heart and soul; simple, plain and meaningful, offered to His Father. He felt the need to pray and was confident that His Father would hear and answer. But he prayed, “Not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). We should cultivate His attitude today.
Jesus taught His disciples “always to pray and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). He gave an example as to how and for what to pray and introduced it with “”After this manner therefore pray ye” (Matthew 6:5-18; Luke 11:1-13). These texts also teach humility, dependence, and confidence in God’s hearing and – and properly answering. Prayer is not a hypocritical verbal package or pseudo manifestation of humility or ostentatious display of oneself. It is a means of humbly expressing one’s most inner feelings, desires, and petitions of heart to his Heavenly Father. Prayer should be offered with full confidence that “ask and it shall be given unto you,” just as, “Seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Luke 11:9-13; Matthew 7:7-12). Just as God is cognizant of the seeking and the knocking, He will give audience to the asker. To understand and properly apply these terms, one must again, go to God’s word. The terms do not stand alone, but stand they do – in harmony with God’s will.
Christians Are Taught Throughout The New Testament To Pray
Paul prayed for other Christians (Ephesians 1:16). He taught others to pray. He wrote, “Continuing instant (to persevere, continue in. slt.) in prayer.” “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.” “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.” “Pray without ceasing” (Romans 12:12; Ephesians 6:18, 20; Colossians 4:2). He instructed the young preacher, Timothy:
“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks, be made for all men… I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” (1 Timothy 2:1,8).
“Without wrath and doubting” means with a pure heart free from anger and dissensions. Other texts could be added but these are sufficient to convince the honest seeker that prayer has a great value in and impact upon the mind of God. God’s ear and heart is open to the pleadings of His people.
What other conclusion can one reach for so much instruction in attitude, appreciation, and participation in prayer? What purpose can prayer serve, if not heard and answered? Only a psychological effect upon the mind of Christians? Just an emotional boost through a false concept? No! God does not work that way. Obedient faith is based upon and flows from a true understanding of God’s Word. Therefore Christians act upon real, genuine faith, not fictitious, make-believe emotionalism or sensationalism. Prayer must be real, and the reason for praying is to be heard and answered.
Peter wrote that husbands should dwell with their wives according to knowledge, “That your prayers be not hindered” (1 Peter 3:7). If one could hinder (to interfere with the progress of) his prayer by mistreating his wife, infers that unhindered prayer has an advantage, is heard, and answered. Peter tells what is meant by “hindered” in verse 12, “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers. But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.” The hindered prayers are not heard and answered as are the prayers of the righteous. A question, “Are these passages applicable today?” I believe they are.
Paul explains, “I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also” (1 Corinthians 14:15), just as he sings. He put himself wholly into his prayer according to his understanding of God’s truth. As Mr. Vine correctly states, I believe, in his New Testament Word Study, that Paul’s prayers flow from, “the seat of reflective consciousness, comprising the faculties of perception and understanding.” This must be done for prayer to be effective just as one’s obedience in other acts. Prayer must flow voluntarily and sincerely from the heart. It is an act of faith in expectation of being heard and answered.
Paul’s confidence in God should reflect into our own heart. He expressed it, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20) How strong is your faith?
James said, “confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed …. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16). This is a plain statement that prayer will accomplish – be heard and answered. He uses Elijah to illustrate the value and effectiveness of prayer. Is it miraculous? No, not today.
When one prays to the Father, he is not asking God to do for him what he can do or for a miraculous manifestation of God’s power. He is praying for God’s providential help.
Providential help, to me, is God’s enabling power and care exercised through His own established laws (physical and spiritual) in sustaining and accomplishing the ordained purpose of His creation.
Let us observe:
“all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28) .
“God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
“The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are opened unto their prayers” (1 Peter 3:12).
These texts along with others announce God’s care and protection for His people, not miraculous, since miracles have ceased, but through His Divine established laws His eternal purpose will be accomplished. Call it providential or whatever, we must be as Abraham of old, “He wavered not through unbelief… and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform” (Romans 4:20-21). How? I do not know. That is God’s part, mine is to believe, obey, and trust.
What About The Prayer Of An Erring Child of God?
In Acts 8, Peter instructed Simon to “Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.” Could he have done this and been forgiven? What about today? In verse 24, Simon pled, “Pray ye to the Lord for me.”Would their prayer be heard through God’s natural, spiritual laws? Can a Christian pray today in a like situation and be heard and answered? I believe so. God’s word so teaches (1 John 1:9 – 2:6; 5:14-15). These are plain statements that God hears and answers prayers. The text or context do not necessitate miraculous intervention. God’s laws provide the avenue of prayer and His hearing and answering when all is done according to His will.
Keep in mind, a prayer is offered to the Father. He is responsible to answer in His own time and way. It could be negative, positive, modified or as requested but God decides what is best for all concerned and responds according to His own choosing. He knows what is best and will so answer.
With Paul, God thought best not to remove the thorn in his flesh. Paul tells us God’s answer, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee … Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9). We should pray, “Thy will be done,”and be therein content. Paul was. He said, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities … for Christ’ sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong (Verse 10).
Things To Keep In Mind When We Pray
(1) Miracles have ceased, therefore, one need not expect his prayer to be miraculously answered. This does not nullify the effectiveness of prayer. God functions through His established laws, both physical and spiritual. When one through faith complies with His teaching, He will fulfill His promises.
(2) God’s thoughts and ways are not man’s, therefore, we must allow God the privilege (it is His prerogative) to decide positive or negative, when and how He chooses to answer. Just because God’s judgment differs from or alters mine does not mean that God is incapable of answering. It is His way of answering.
(3) Christians must refrain from the Naamanic attitude. He predetermined What, When, and How his leprosy would be healed. But it did not work the way he planned. The prophet sent his servant to Naaman with his message of healing. Naaman said, “Behold I thought,” and went away in a fit of anger (2 Kings 5). Later he returned, obeyed, and was cleansed.
Many honest but deluded or thoughtless Christians pray with prefixed specifics as to what, how, and when. Then, when God answers in His own time and way, they are unhappy and conclude, God does not hear and answer prayers today. Look at an illustration. A child goes to his earthly father and asks for something. The father may grant it, refuse it, alter it, or advise waiting or certain action be done, nonetheless he answers. An obedient child should accept the fathers choosing with grace and be thankful. Should not we allow our Heavenly Father at least that much consideration?
(4) Prayer must be in obedience to God’s will.
“And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s works, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear … The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers” (1 Peter 1:17; 3:12).
David said, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18). Solomon wrote, “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination” (Proverbs 28:9).
(5) Prayer must be in faith.
“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord” (James 1:6-7).
“But without faith it is impossible to please him” (Hebrews 11:6).
(6) Prayer must be in resignation and submission to God’s will. Jesus prayed, “Father, if thou be willing, … nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). This is the very essence of confidence demonstrated. John expresses his confidence as absolute, “If we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us … we have the petitions that we desired of him” (1 John 5:14-15). The text has nothing in it to associate it with the miraculous. It is an expression of God’s general law applied to specific facts of prayer, that prayer offered according to God’s Will, e will hear and answer. Only good comes from God “with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” What a privilege and blessing in prayer.
Mr. Charles C. Converse wrote in the hymn, “What A Friend We Have In Jesus”:
‘Oh, what peace we often forfeit;
Oh, what needless pain we bear;
All because we do not carry,
Everything to God in prayer.”
Prayer is an opened door to God’s throne, even more than that, to God’s heart through Jesus His Son. Therefore we should “continue instant in prayer. … Pray without ceasing,” for God hears and answers the righteous man’s prayer.
There is a beautiful thought provoking stanza in “Did You Think To Pray?”
“When sore trials came upon you,
Did you think to pray?
When your soul was bowed in sorrow,
Balm of Gilead did you borrow,
At the gates of day?O how praying rests the weary!
Prayer will change the night to day;
So when life seems dark and dreary,
Don’t forget to pray.”
Let us follow Jesus’ words, “Always to pray and not to faint.”
