ARE YOU BREATHING?
Among the vital signs of physical life are the pulse, blood pressure, and respiration.
Prayer is as necessary for spiritual health as breathing is for physical life and just as there are times when the body is almost in a state of suspended animation, when breathing is almost imperceptible, so there are Christians who show little or no evidence of being alive.
Breathing may be absent, shallow, convulsive, or it may be deep, regular, and life sustaining.
The prayer life of a Christian exhibits many of the same characteristics. It may be practically absent, very shallow, or convulsive, that is, resorted to only in case of emergency.
There are other Christians who avail themselves of the privilege of prayer as it is God’s will that they should, and with them this exercise is a deep and life-sustaining one.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism defines prayer as “an offering up of our desires unto God, for the things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sin, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.”
In a very real sense, next to salvation itself, prayer is the greatest gift God has given to his own. In his infinite wisdom and mercy he sees fit to release divine power as men pray. Prayer may be likened to the light switch on the wall—the current, wiring, and lights may all be in place but only as we throw the switch does the light or other gadgets become operative.
Find a Christian consistent and earnest in his prayer life and you will find an individual who has spiritual power in his life.
The Psalmist wrote: “O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.”
God does hear prayer. There are those who think the main purpose of prayer is to bring our own lives in tune with God’s will, and the benefits of prayer are thus restricted to this. That of course is one of the blessings which come from prayer—but it is only one.
In the Bible we find from Genesis to the Revelation that prayer is a divine institution practiced from earliest time. The Bible ends with the prayer, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
The prayer life of our Lord is a constant reminder of the importance of prayer and we ought to follow this example at all cost if we are to live close to him.
Prayer is a two-way communication system, for not only do we talk to God but he talks to us as we wait in his presence.
Down through the centuries devout souls have found that prayer effects changes and brings about results which are otherwise impossible.
One of the preparations for prayer is stillness of the soul. “Be still, and know that I am God,” is an admonition too few of us heed. If we were in the presence of an earthly king we would keep silent until spoken to. How much more should be give the King of kings the opportunity to speak to us!
Because we come to God in the name of his Son, we can come with boldness, but never with flippancy. When he tells us to be still and know that he is God there is involved a recognition of his holiness. Subterfuge, pretense, and every vestige of pride are burned away by a sense of the presence of the One who is altogether pure and sovereign.
Prayer not only means stillness in God’s presence, it also means waiting, a difficult thing for those of us who are caught up in the whirl of earthly affairs.
But the reward of waiting in God’s presence is rich: “they that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” In prayer we renew our strength, we are enabled to rise above the trials and contingencies of life, we can carry on by his strength, we can walk through the humdrum experiences of the daily grind and not faint by the way.
But prayer is far more than receiving help and strength from a loving heavenly Father. There are many other aspects which must never be forgotten.
Prayer includes confession. “If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me” carries with it a warning. Unconfessed sin is a deadly deterrent to prayer, whether viewed from the standpoint of our petition or God’s response.
Another aspect of prayer is restitution. How often we have offended others, even defrauded them. “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee: leave therefore thy gift before the altar, and go thy way: first be reconciled to thy brother and then come offer thy gift.” Some revivals have started in local churches when Christians prayed and were reconciled to fellow Christians through confession and apology.
Prayer also involves surrender of our wills to God. In this aspect our Lord set for us the perfect example: “nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” God’s children have the right to be importunate, but never the right to be demanding. He who sees all things, for whom the past, the present, and the future are as one, answers our prayers in love and according to his knowledge of what is best.
Faith is an essential part of effective prayer. It is based on belief that God’s promises are true, that as he has ordained that we should pray to him, and that he will honor his promises to us.
Prayer involves importunity in the very truest sense, for importunity is a test of sincerity. There are times when God tests us to see whether we really mean what we pray. Our Lord says: “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” How often we ask with a faint heart, seek without expecting to find, knock timidly and then turn back to our own ways.
Prayer should always involve thanksgiving. “In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Do we preface our prayers with thanksgiving and praise? In our social life we try to be appreciative of every favor. Why do we so often fail to thank God who is for us the giver of every perfect gift—our eternal salvation and all of its accompanying blessings?
Finally, prayer is an attitude. The Apostle Paul meant a spiritual reality when he said we should pray without ceasing for it is the privilege of a Christian to live in such close contact with God that at all times the way is open into His presence. There are many instances in the Bible where men demonstrated this attitude, not only in praising God but also in asking for wisdom and guidance in sudden emergencies.
God has placed in the hands of his children an unbelievable privilege and power. It is to be used, not neglected. Are you breathing?
L. NELSON BELL
