WHAT IS PRAYER?
“We must not conceive of prayer as overcoming God’s reluctance, but as laying hold of His highest willingness.” ~Richard Trench
Mr. Moody was once addressing a crowded meeting of children in Edinburgh. To get their attention, he began by asking a question that he was prepared to answer himself, “What is prayer?”
Before he could answer the question he was astonished to see almost every little hand shoot straight up into the air. With a smile mixed with uncertainty and anticipation, he pointed to a lad toward the front who answered with a thick accent that identified his Scottish roots, “Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins and thankful, acknowledgment of His mercies.”
Nearly a century and a half later, see how much has changed! What sort of answer would he get today? How many Scottish children could give a definition of prayer like the one Moody received? Think for a moment and decide what answer you would give. Oh to see days like this again when youths were not despised for youth’s sake! Today, it is more likely that Moody would not have been taken off guard.
So, let us ask Mr. Moody’s question again: “What is prayer?” In a world where rights are coming out of our ears, we could deduce that most Christians might answer, “Prayer is asking things from God.” Yet when we consider the way our Lord prayed, surely it is something far greater than merely “getting God to run our errands for us.”
To settle with such an answer would be equivalent to saying we are mere beggars at a rich man’s door. And yet God’s Word says that we are His children!
The word “prayer” really means “a wish directed towards,” that is, towards God. This means that when we pray, all our efforts are directed toward someone as opposed to something. Prayer is recognizing the One from whom all blessings flow, knowing that receiving from Him is just the icing on the cake! Consider how David describes this in Psalm 25:1, “Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.” What a beautiful description of prayer that is! When we lift our souls to God, we are committing all that we have, all that we know, and all that concerns us into His hands—and leaving it there. When we lift our souls to God in prayer it allows God to do what He will in us and with us. It is putting ourselves at God’s disposal. God is always on our side. Man’s importunity is God’s opportunity! One poem describes it like this:
Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,
Uttered or unexpressed,
The motion of a hidden fire
That trembles in the breast.
Prayer is an unspoken bond that links heaven to earth. Sometimes it results in words, and at other times the spirit cries out though lips never part. How then can we describe it as merely asking things from God?
Prayer is also not bending the will of a reluctant God to our will. It does not change His purpose, although it may release His power. We must understand that our prayers are not about persuading a reluctant God, but about trusting in a God who is more willing to give than we are to receive!
God always plans what is best for us. Even when we pray in ignorance or blindness, God will not be swayed from His purpose for our greatest good. However, there are certain instances when, if we persist in asking for something harmful, our stubbornness may bring it about, and we will suffer the consequences. As the Psalmist says, “He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul” (Psalm 106:15). In the same way, we too can bring spiritual emptiness upon ourselves, cursed with the burden of a granted prayer.
Prayer, in the minds of some people, is only for emergencies! Danger threatens, sickness comes, things are lacking, difficulties arise—then they pray. Like the unbeliever down a coal mine who teased the Christian miner: when the roof began to fall he began to pray as the old Christian miner quietly remarked, “Aye, there’s nothing like a load o’ coal falling on a man to make him pray.”
In truth, this is why Paul writes to the Thessalonians, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). When we pray without ceasing, we’re adding wood to keep the fire going—not when it goes out!
Now, asking God for something is a valuable part of prayer if we bear in mind the need to depend on the Giver over the gift. But it is also communion with the Giver—intercourse with God—not just talking to but with God in holy fellowship. It is as simple as getting to know people by simply communicating with them. Prayer should never be monologue as many might think—but dialogue! A man struggling with a besetting sin will never be free of it if deliverance from evil is the result he is anticipating. The same goes for the one who longs to secure some coveted thing. The highest result ought always to be knowing God more intimately. “And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God” (John 17:3). Yes, prayer discovers more of God, and that is the soul’s greatest discovery. This is what David meant when he said, “Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul” (Psalm 25:1)!
The kneeling Christian discovers why he always finds God on his knees—because God ultimately finds him. The heavenly vision of the Lord Jesus blinded Saul of Tarsus on his journey to Damascus, but Paul later recounts that while praying in the temple at Jerusalem, he fell into a trance and beheld Jesus, stating, “I . . . saw him” (Acts 22:18), and it was then that Christ assigned him to the Gentiles. When we pray, we should also be ready to go down the path that God will prepare for us.
Horace Bushnell was known for his influential writings on prayer. A friend of Bushnell once recounted a profound sense of God’s presence while praying with Bushnell: “When Horace Bushnell buried his face in his hands and prayed, I was afraid to stretch out my hand in the darkness, lest I should touch God.” Perhaps this is the very heart of David’s plea, “My soul, wait thou only upon God” (Psalm 62:5).
“What is prayer?” By now you might be ready to answer Mr. Moody’s question a little better.
Now let us advance further into the veil of fellowship. It is one thing to recognize that we are always in God’s presence, and for that presence to be manifested, but it is quite another to gaze upon Him in adoration. But perhaps we should ask God Himself what He considers to be the highest form of prayer. I think higher than an awareness of His presence, or even adoration of His presence, there is communion with Him as a friend with a friend. This is the essence of true prayer.
What made Count Zinzendorf of Herrnhut such a man of prayer? He sought the Giver rather than His gifts. He said, “I have one passion: it is Christ, and Christ alone.”
Even followers of Islam recognize this concept. They describe three levels of prayer: the first is merely verbal, spoken by the lips; the second involves a determined effort to focus our thoughts on the Divine; and the third is when the soul struggles to turn away from God. Certainly, we understand that God invites us to ‘ask’ of Him, and we typically respond to this call. We can be confident that prayer not only pleases God but also meets all our needs. However, it would be unusual for a child to seek their father’s presence solely for a gift. Every child needs their father! And this is why Proverbs 17:6 declares that “the glory of children are their fathers.” This is the very attitude we ought to have as children of God. No child is content with piles of stuff. Every child who enjoys time with their father is content. So how is this achieved?
Here are two thoughts to consider: 1) There must be a realization of God’s glory. 2) There must be a realization of God’s grace.
I’ve found the way, through the blood, past the veil,
to the Holy of Holies with God.
There by His pow’r over sin, I prevail,
I can walk in the path that He trod.
There in the presence of Jesus, I stand;
Glorified Son at the Father’s right hand.
There, I can plead, I can claim,
I can have all that He purchased for me!
I wonder how many of us take the time to marvel over God’s exceeding great glory. How many of us take the time to grasp a fuller meaning of the little word grace? Are our prayers often ineffective and weak because we hastily enter God’s presence without truly considering His majesty and glory, or taking the time to reflect on the greatness of the God we are approaching? The time element is often a reason so few see the effectiveness of prayer today.
May we then suggest that before we lay our petitions before God we first dwell in meditation upon His glory and grace. Like David, may we lift our soul “unto Thee, O LORD.” Let us place ourselves, as it were, in the presence of God and direct our prayer to the King of kings, and Lord of lords, “Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto . . . to Whom be honour and power everlasting” (I Tim. 6:16). And then, let us adore Him and praise Him for His exceeding great glory. Yet more than this, let us like Moses, speak to Him as friend with friend.
O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!
“Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name . . .” (Matthew 6:9b). There is nothing like a glimpse of heaven and a knowledge of God’s glorious name to banish fear and doubt! A.T. Pierson often would describe George Müller as having such a walk with God that his very presence carried with it a sense of the divine. He was a man of God, full of faith and the Holy Ghost, and in his daily life, there was a princely air of confidence that came from trusting God fully. How is this? Because he got a glimpse of the glory of God, and in adoration praised him before opening his mouth wide, and his princely air was not one of pride, but of awareness that he was a son of God (1 John 3:1)! “Our Father . . . in heaven . . . hallowed be Thy name. . . ”
Realizing the glory of God—Who is a spirit (John 4:24) and Whom none have ever seen (John 1:18)—is necessary to adequately praise and adore Him. How can this be done, practically speaking? It was William Law who said, “When you begin to pray, use such expressions of the attributes of God as will make you sensible of His greatness and power.”
How many names and descriptions of our God do you know? Psalms 100:4 says, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.” Perhaps your thankfulness for things are getting in the way of achieving a powerful sense of the reality of God’s glory. So the psalmist is more specific as he continues, “. . . be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.” As you enter into His gates, remind yourself that you are entering into the presence of The Provider—Jehovah Jireh, The Healer—Jehovah Rapha, The One Who is our Banner of Victory—Jehovah Nissi. When you enter into His courts, you might well whisper, “El Shaddai, You are my sufficiency—the Almighty One—in every circumstance,” or “Jehovah Shalom, Your peace calms my every storm,” or “Jehovah Rohi, I shall never want for You as my Shepherd.” Say these things aloud! “You are Almighty, Unchangeable, Loving, Caring, Compassionate, and the One Who hears us when we call.” Discover His character! This is why Paul counted everything else to be dung in comparison to knowing God. Paul had such an awareness of God and His constant presence that He could do nothing but adore Him.
Yes, in Thy Name, O Captain of Salvation,
In Thy dear Name, all other names above,
Jesus, our Righteousness, our Sure Foundation,
Our Prince of Glory, and our King of Love!
This chapter is taken from “The Kneeling Christian”. For more information on this book CLICK HERE.
My Prayer Helps 