Pray without ceasing, then pray some more

Throughout the Bible God has done wondrous things in the presence of His people.  Many times the people stood in awe and watched God work His wonders.  They watched as He divided the Red Sea and let them walk through on dry land.  They watched as He provided manna for them to eat, and clean water for them to drink.  They watches as God defeated their enemies, even when they were outnumbered.

Yet we see, upon further review, that in most of those cases God commanded the people to do something as well:  When God divided the Red Sea, He commanded Moses to stretch out his hand over the water.  When God made the water pure at Marah, He commanded the people to cut down a certain tree and throw it into the water.  Again, when there was no water to drink, God commanded Moses to speak to a rock, and promised that out of it would flow a stream of pure water.  (Moses did not speak to it--he struck it with his staff.  When nothing happened the first time, Moses had to strike it again.  Water did spring forth, but God was angry with Moses for disobeying Him.)  When God gave them miraculous military victories, it was only after they were obedient to him--after they marched around Jericho seven days (Joshua chapter 6); after Joshua raised his staff to heaven making the sun stand still in the sky in the battle for Jerusalam (Joshua chapter 10); after Gideon pared his army down to just 300 men, then armed them with torches and pitchers, and the priests with trumpets (Judges chapter 7).

The only time I can see where God did not work through human cooperation was when He sent manna for them to eat.  God spoke it into existence, like He did at Creation.  In fact, most of the wonders God showed His people were done through the obedient actions of people--of judges, or prophets, or priests.

Even Jesus, the God-man, was called "Immanuel", which means "God with us".  (See Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23).  Think about that.  Not "God before us".  Not "Lord over us".  But "God WITH us."  1Corinthians 1:9 says, "God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with His son."  What does the word Fellowship mean?  Some wise guy might say it is two fellows in a ship.  But that is not far from the truth:

• Wherever the ship goes, both fellows go there together;
• When the ship rocks back and forth on the waves, both fellows lean the same way;
• When the ship pitches forward in the storm, both fellows stumble and fall;
• And when the ship flounders on the rocks, or runs aground, both fellows go nowhere together.

I think God desires fellowship with us.  He wants relationship.  Yes, it is true that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10), but it is also true the he says, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." (see Hosea 6:6; Matthew 9:13).

Mercy.  It means compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or to harm.  In Hosea 6:6 the word that is translated "mercy" is the Hebrew word חֶסֶד  or checed.
It means "loyalty".  God is merciful to us.  He has reason to do us harm, but he only wants our good.  He is loyal to us, even when we sin against him.

Almost everything God wants to do, he wants to do in us and through us.  Ephesians 2:8 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith."  It is His grace, but it is our faith. He just won't do it without our obedient action.

Philippians 2:13 says, "For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work his good pleasure."  In the Greek, the word translated "work" is ἐνεργέω or energeō, from which we get the word energized.  The word translated "his good pleasure" is εὐδοκία or eudokia, that has the same root as the English word euphoria.  So you could say that God is stoked to use his energy through us. It makes him happy.


That is why we are encouraged throughout the Bible to pray.  Deuteronomy 4:8 says, "What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?"  1Samuel 12:23 says, "As for me, far be it from me to sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you.  And I will teach you the way that is good and right."  2Chronicles 7:14 says, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their l and."

Prayer brings us close to God.  Prayer unleashes the power of God in our lives.  If we fail to pray, we are worthless as Christians.  We may be good and blameless as we sit in church and hear God's word spoken over us, but until that Word dwells in us richly, we will be powerless spiritually.  

I have recently started keeping a prayer journal.  It is a test of my faith, because it deals with some really serious issues, and has some pretty big requests of God.  In writing it down, I have a reminder to lift up that issue before the Father, and a record of what I ask for and when I started believing for it with all my heart, and a resource for encouragement when God answers the prayers that I have been bringing before him.

Prayer is a calming influence in our lives.  Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition,with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  I've always wondered how persecuted peoples make it through, especially if they are persecuted unto death.  I'll bet it is because of prayer; they are so close to God that their circumstances, no matter how dire or dangerous to their flesh, do not overcome their spirit.

Prayer teaches us patience and perseverance.  In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus told them a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.  He said, "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men.  And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'  

"For some time he refused.  But finally he said to himself, 'Even thought I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "

And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says.  And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?  Will he keep putting the off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.  But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" 

How many times have we purposed in our hearts to pray about something, and we quit after one or two days? Was it not important enough to pray day and night? Do we really think God's answer is no, or do we just give up?  In 1941, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, speaking of politics and war, said, "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.  Never yield to force.  Never yield to the apparent overwhelming might of the enemy."  While he was speaking of a physical war against an evil empire, the same can be said of the spiritual battle we wage on a daily basis.  Believe me, the more you pray, the more forceful will be the demonic actions against you.  To overcome, you must remember that "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." (1John 4:4).

I hope one day to share with you the answers to the prayers God has laid on my heart.  Until then, I will keep on using my prayer journal, and ignore the devil's persistent urging to quit, or his discouragement that the request is too big.