THE WORD FOR “STRIVE” IS OUR WORD “AGONIZE” THE VERY WORD USED OF OUR LORD BEING “IN AGONY” WHEN PRAYING HIMSELF (LUKE 22:44).
“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—“(Ephesians 6:18).
Be watchful in the Spirit is to stay alive, to be alert. One ingredient of prayer is memory. God speaks to us through our memory, but remembering also stimulates us to speak with God. This speaking is prayer—whether verbal dialogue or the sharing of thoughts and feelings in the depths of our spirits. In prayer we repent and receive the life-giving power of forgiveness.
Prayer is measured, not by time, but by intensity. Earnest souls who read of men like Praying Hyde are today anxiously asking, “Am I expected to pray like that?” If we have genuinely experienced God’s forgiveness through the cross of Christ, either in a cataclysmic conversion or in a final explicit yes that we spoke to the gentle but persistent wooing of God’s love, we have a weapon of incomparable power. We can begin each day in freedom, released from the burdens of past sin, our consciences cleansed by repentance.
There is hardly ever a complete silence in the soul. God is whispering to us well-nigh incessantly. Whenever the sounds of the world die out in the soul, or sink low, then we hear the whisperings of God. He is always whispering to us, only we do not hear, because of the noise, hurry, and distraction, which life causes as it rushes on. It is a huge personal discipline to daily find the time to be alone with God. He wants to hear from us and we absolutely need to hear from Him. Find the time to talk with your heavenly Father—listen and respond. See Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”
Prayer is not given us as a burden to be borne, or an irksome duty to fulfill, but to be a joy and power to which there is no limit. It is given to us that we “may find grace to help us in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). And every time is a “time of need.” Our dear, loving Father knows all about us. He sees. He knows how little leisure some of us have for prolonged periods of prayer.
Some of us are bound to be much in prayer. Our very work demands it. We may be looked upon as spiritual leaders; we may have the spiritual welfare or training of others. God forbid that we should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray enough for them (1 Samuel 12:23). Yes, with some it is our very business—almost our life’s work—to pray. Others—for them they cannot help praying. If we have the burden of souls upon us we shall never ask, “How long need I pray?”
The posture in which we pray is immaterial. God will listen whether we kneel, or stand, or sit, or walk, or work. The important thing is that we pray. We all could spend more time in prayer—the command that Paul gives us in 1 Thessalonians is to “pray without ceasing.” Our dear Lord said, “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint”—“and never lose heart” (Luke 18:1).
There is no doubt that the devil opposes our approach to God in prayer, and does all he can to prevent the prayer of faith. His chief way of hindering us is to try to fill our minds with the thought of our needs, so that they shall not be occupied with thoughts of God, our loving Father, to whom we pray.
How hard the devil makes it for us to concentrate our thoughts upon God! It is important to get a realization of the glory of God, and the power of God, and the presence of God, before offering of any petition. If there were no devil there would be no difficulty in prayer, but it is the evil one’s chief aim to make prayer impossible. That is why most of us find it hard to sympathize with those who profess to condemn what they call “vain repetitions” and “much speaking” in prayer—quoting our Lord’s words in His sermon on the mount. God does not mean us to pray “feeble breathings,” or “unworthy uttering’s.”
Our example is to always follow what Jesus did when He prayed to God while here on earth. He would sometimes rise a “great while before day” and depart to a solitary place for a prayer (Mark 1:35). Jesus spent more time in prayer than we do. I believe these prayers restored His power while here on earth.
None of us are excused from prayer. We are commanded to pray from the scriptures. Jesus would pull away from the crowds and his busy schedule to retire to a mountain to pray (Matthew 14:23). We say we are too busy to pray. But the busier our Lord was, the more He prayed. Sometimes He had no leisure for needed rest and sleep. If frequent prayer, and, at times, long hours of prayer, were necessary for our Savior, are they less necessary for us?
By all means let us be definite in prayer; by all means let us put eloquence aside—if we have any! By all means let us avoid needless “chatter,” and come in faith, expecting to receive. Prayer is never meant to be indolently easy. However, simple and reliant it may be. It is meant to be an infinitely important transaction between man and God. And therefore, very often it has to be viewed as a work involving labor, persistence, conflict, if it would be prayer indeed.
No one can prescribe for another. Let each be persuaded in his own mind how to pray, and the Holy Spirit will inspire us and guide us how long to pray. And let us all be so full of the love of God our Savior that prayer, at times and in all places, may be a joy as well as a means of grace.
