It has remained for scientists of our generation to discover the unbelievable power locked up in the atom. Now we know that the potentials of such power are so staggering they defy imagination.
But the greatest power in the world is not to be found in the atom. Rather it is present in that amazing provision of God’s loving concern—prayer.
Through prayer man can enter the portals of eternity, have communion with the sovereign God of the universe, and bring his infinite power to bear on any and every human experience.
Prayer is a God-given privilege, something so wonderful that it defies adequate description. At the same time it is so simple and real that a little child can experience its blessings.
While it is a vital part of public and private worship, it is also an attitude of heart and mind through which man may be in unceasing communion with the Creator and Ruler of the universe.
The writer was recently in the cockpit of a plane flying over an area with which the pilot was unfamiliar. His frequent requests for information brought immediate and clear data from control towers along the way.
When the apostle Paul admonished the Thessalonian Christians to pray without ceasing, he was affirming that we should at all times have an attitude toward God which keeps us spiritually and practically attuned to him through faith in his Son.
The many aspects of prayer are so varied, so breath-taking in the vistas which they open up, that rare indeed is that believer who makes full use of what God has placed at his disposal.
With many it seems trite to say that prayer changes things. But it does. It changes the one who with an honest heart engages in it; and it also changes external situations through divine intervention. That prayers may be answered in the negative, or in ways beyond our understanding should bring joy and comfort, for in this is demonstrated that prayer is a divine, not a human institution.
In an article such as this it is impossible to do more than touch on a few of the aspects of prayer.
Prayer has been defined as the offering up of our desires to God, in the name of Christ, by the help of the Spirit, and with full acknowledgment of his mercies.
In the practice of medicine there are certain vital signs for which an alert watch is always kept. For example, any change of pulse, respiration, or blood-pressure could be of grave import to the patient.
For the Christian there are also vital signs which are indicative of spiritual health, or lack of it, such as prayer, Bible study, and personal witnessing.
Prayer has been likened to spiritual respiration, or breathing, and like its physical counterpart, it may be absent, shallow, convulsive, or deep, regular, and life-sustaining.
Here we have a divine institution provided for human need, a two-way system of communication between God and man that serves as the means of releasing divine power and effecting changes where such would otherwise be impossible.
Prayer is one of the most practical things in this world, but we must know its requisites, and what must be avoided.
A right preparation for prayer calls for stillness of soul. The Psalmist says, “Be still, and know that I am God,” and this requires of us an attitude of mind and heart which recognizes the holy presence of the living God. This strips us of every vestige of subterfuge, pretense, and pride, so that we come to God with boldness, but never in flippancy.
A basic element in effective prayer is confession. Again the Psalmist says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me.” Too often we think we can hide our sins from the searching eye of the One with whom we have to do. Confession of and turning away from sin through faith in the atoning work of our Saviour places us squarely on praying ground.
With confession, of course, must come restitution. This may be to God; it may be to our fellow man. Jesus said, “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee: leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”
In prayer there must also be surrender, a willingness to give up anything which may stand between us and God. Through his willingness to obey God and to give up the son of God’s promise, Abraham was blessed of God. Today there are thousands of Christians who will testify to the peace of heart and power in prayer which has come to them through unconditional surrender to God.
Prayer also involves faith. Do we believe that the prayer-answering, miracle-working God of the past is the same God today? In our sophistication and increasing involvement in the world in which we live, it is frighteningly easy to forget that in the shadows there yet stands the sovereign God. We like Israel of old may find it said of us: “Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.”
Importunity is a test of sincerity and is a part of prevailing prayer. Our Lord commended the importunity of the widow appealing to the unjust judge. And he commands us to “ask,” “seek,” and “knock” with the promise that we will receive. These all involve an act of faith and an attitude of expectancy.
One other important part of prayer is thanksgiving. “In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
Prayers need not be long, nor is there a set place from which alone our petitions should ascend. Nehemiah confronted with an emergency prayed in a split second—and his prayer was heard.
One of the lessons we Christians need so much to learn is that we can and should pray at any time. How often during the day we need special guidance and wisdom. It may be a business decision, an incoming phone call, an unexpected problem, or some happy experience. In these and any contingency of our daily lives, prayer should be our instantaneous and natural reaction. How many frustrations could be avoided, how many heartaches turned to joy, or defeats turned into victories!
One of the great mysteries of divine love is seen in Christ’s prayers of intercession for us. He prays for us according to the will of God and in the light of his infinite wisdom.
On our part it can be reverently and truthfully said that through prayer we turn the switch which releases God’s almighty power and blessings. And in that release our hearts know the peace of God which passeth understanding—and also misunderstanding.
