What Is Prayer?
Prayer is not an
exclusive Christian practice. All men
pray, whether they are heathen,
agnostics, idolaters, Buddhists, or
any of other religion or
superstition; men pray and have
always prayed. History records
prayers long before the time of
Moses, and the Bible informs us that
men shall pray to the end of time,
even if it be only to the rocks and
mountains.
Most of these ancient
prayers were not, of course, prayers
in a Biblical sense. They were
generally offered only in times of
emergencies, such as an earthquake,
an important battle, a pestilence,
prolonged drought, or some other
great calamity. They were motivated
by fear, often the desire for revenge
on enemies; for the Christian
concepts of love and concern for the
welfare of others appear to be
completely absent in some primitive
peoples. Their prayers were prayers
for themselves and for the
destruction of their enemies. Utter
selfishness lay at the root of such
petitions.
From the beginning of
time, men have found themselves face
to face with forces of nature with
which they could not cope. The
thunders roared, the lightening
flashed, evil powers seemed intent on
their destruction, and men stood
helpless against the fury of the
elements. A storm at sea would crush
their stoutest boat, an earthquake
would level their buildings, a
volcano would spew out of its molten
lava, or a pestilence might decimate
the people. Utterly helpless, men
felt the need of pacifying the evil
powers that were evidently intent on
their destruction, and of imploring
the help of the good gods who sent
sunshine and rain and other
blessings. Man has been called a
praying animal, and not without
reason. Prayer is part of man’s
nature, whatever his skin.
We call attention to
this universal practice to stress the
fact that prayer is a natural
phenomenon common to all mankind.
Many non-Christians pray habitually
more than do Christians, as witness
the Mohammedans and other Eastern
religions. Prayer is inborn in man, a
part of his nature. Missionaries
capitalize on this implanted prayer
habit and find it an excellent means
to approach to uncivilized people.
These people pray already. They need
to have their prayers directed to the
God of all, the One who made the
heavens and the earth.
For the Christian,
love of God is the true motive that
leads him to pray. Fear, hatred of
his enemies, selfishness, love of
show, find no place in his thinking.
He prays when he is in danger and
asks God for protection from harm and
accidents; he prays when he is sick
or facing serious problems; but he
has in mind that these are not the
primary motives for prayer. The real
ground lies deeper. Therefore, we
find Daniel, when faced with the
decree that under pain of death no
one might pray to the God of heaven,
“went into his house; and
kneeled upon his knees three times a
day, and prayed, and gave thanks
before his God, as he did
aforetime.” Daniel 6:10. He
did not change his practice because
of the decree. This illustrates
Christian prayer at its best.
An appeal to God for
help in time of crisis is right and
proper. The Bible is filled with
examples of this kind of prayer.
However, we have to keep in mind that
this is not to be the prevalent form
of prayer, nor is it of the highest
kind. Prayer should not be dependant
on a crisis. We are not to do as the
little newsboy did. He said he never
prayed to God except at night. In the
daytime, he could take care of
himself.
Some are reluctant to
call on God when they face a
difficult situation, because they
have neglected prayer previously.
However, God is always pleased to
have us pray; so no one need feel
hesitant. It sometimes takes a
special event to start the prayer
habit and supply the needed
incentive; God recognizes this, and
there are occasions when God Himself
supplies the event. Israel
“wandered in the wilderness in a
solitary way; they found no city to
dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their
soul fainted in them. Then they cried
unto the Lord in their trouble, and
He delivered them out of their
distresses.” Psalm 107:4-6. When
some rebelled against the Lord,
“He brought down their heart
with labor; they fell down, and there
was none to help. Then they cried
unto the Lord in their trouble, and
He saved them out of their
distresses.” Verse 12,13.
“Fools because of
their transgression, and because of
their iniquities, are afflicted.
Their soul abhorreth all manner of
meat; and they draw near unto the
gates of death. Then they cry unto
the Lord in their trouble, and He
saveth them out of their
distresses.” Verses 17-19.
“They that go down to the sea in
ships, that do business in great
waters; these see the works of the
Lord, and His wonders in the deep.
For He commandeth, and raiseth the
stormy wind, which lifteth up the
waves thereof.” Then they cry
unto the Lord in their trouble, and
He bringeth them out of their
distresses.” Verses 23-25, 28.
These incidents reveal
that the Lord uses all manner of
means to call men to Him. He did that
in older times, and He does this
today. Therefore, we find a man on a
raft in the midst of the ocean with
certain death facing him, feeling
after God and finding Him. An ocean
liner goes down in a collision, and
thousands pray while the band plays a
church hymn. The president of a great
nation wrestles with the problem of
the emancipation of slaves, facing a
decision that may cost much blood and
even divide the nation; and finds his
solution in prayer. A supreme council
of world leaders gathers to decide
questions that mean life or death to
millions of innocent people, and
every head is bowed in devout
silence. God has many ways to incite
men to prayer. The profound issues
before the world teach men to pray as
well as to think, and God uses them
to further His aim.
God calls all men and
uses all means. Men of erudition and
scientific attainments, who never
prayed before, are learning to seek
God today. Working on weapons that
threaten the annihilation of the
human race, these leaders are
appalled as they contemplate the use
to which their inventions will be
put. Therefore, God calls them, and
some respond.
Men are discovering that human wisdom
is insufficient for the world issues;
that mankind is doomed unless some
remedy is found. Humanity gropes for
light. God is doing His part in
awakening men’s consciences as
they realize the way the world is
going. Scientists have released
forces that they can no longer
control, and men are making a
desperate attempt to save themselves
from themselves. In their dilemma,
they are turning to prayer in the
hope that some higher power will come
to their rescue. In doing this, they
are admitting their own failure and
demonstrating that man cannot save
himself – a lesson that is being
deeply impressed in current events
At a time such as
this, it is well for the people of
God to take stock of themselves. Have
they any power in prayer that the
world does not have? Are they taking
advantage of the power that is at
their command? Have they learned to
pray? Have they learned to wrestle
with god in prayer? And are they
finding in prayer their stay and
help? “Men ought always to
pray.” In a special sense, this
applies to our present time.
Prayer is the highest
spiritual exercise of the soul. In
its deeper form it passes into
communication and fellowship with
God, opens the doors to the throne
room of the universe, and converses
with God as with a friend. In the
earthly temple, the Mosaic priest
came nearest to God when morning and
evening he offered incense on the
altar. Likewise, the Christian comes
closest to God in his daily
devotions, as his prayers ascend with
sweet incense of Christ’s
righteousness to the throne of the
Almighty.
Some Christians
consider prayer a duty to be
discharged at stated times to please
God. When they have performed their
devotions, they rest content that
they have done what is required of
them. They feel that they have
reminded God of what He might
otherwise forget or neglect, but to
which He will now doubtless give
attention. God loves these dear souls
who daily call upon Him as a matter
of duty; and from heaven, He sends
the answer to their prayers when it
is most needed. He knows the sincere
desire of their hearts and overlooks
their imperfect approach.
Nevertheless, most
Christians pray not as a matter of
duty but because they feel the need
of communion with their Maker. Some
use prayer books and recite the
beautifully worded prayers prepared
for their use. Others pray
extemporaneously, pouring out their
soul’s desire in their heart
language that God understands. They
pray for loved ones, for missionaries
in far-off fields, for the sick and
afflicted, for persecuted ones and
those that suffer reproach for the
Lord’s sake; they humbly
petition God for forgiveness for
their many shortcomings and for daily
strength, and then leave their case
with God. God loves to hear them
pray.
More Than a Duty
The Bible not only encourages us to
pray, but commands it. “Men
ought always to pray,” says the
Savior, “and not to faint.”
Luke 18:1. This makes prayer a
Christian duty that should on no
account be neglected.
Nevertheless, to the
true Christian, prayer is more than a
duty: it is a high and blessed
privilege. Paul speaks of love, as a
duty when he says, “So ought men
to love their wives.” Ephesians
5:28. There is indeed an
“ought” phase to love as
there is to prayer. However, in both
cases the privilege phase far exceeds
the duty aspect. No man truly loves
his wife considers it his duty to do
so. To him it is not a duty or a
task; it is a privilege.
There are some vital
questions that come to mind as we
consider prayer. Some doubt that
prayer accomplishes anything aside
from the reflex influence it has on
the one who prays. Does prayer ever
change the mind of God and make Him
altar His intent? Are answers to
prayer only wishful thinking? Is
prayer effective in the field of
bodily infirmities? Is anyone ever
healed of organic difficulty? Are
souls saved because we pray? Is real
communion with God possible? We shall
consider these and other questions as
we proceed. It is time that we face
the subject of prayer realistically.
This we shall do.
Memory Verse:
“For the eyes
of the Lord are on the righteous and
his ears are attentive to their
prayer, but the face of the Lord is
against those who do evil.” 1
Peter 3:12
Questions:
1. In your own
words, what is prayer?
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2. Give an
example of a prayer that you felt in
your heart was answered by God.
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