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Volume. XXXVIII, No. 54 The ABCD of the Prayer Life of a Christian (Part 1) Introduction
Prayer is the powerhouse of the church. Spurgeon says that the spirituality of a church is measured by the substance and demeanour of its weekly prayer meeting. Is there genuine prayerful and evangelistic concern in the church? Is there a heartfelt longing for the conversion of unsaved family members? Is there a strong vision for the lost, a fervent desire for spiritual revival and the propagation of the gospel both locally and to other countries? What is true prayer? John Bunyan defines prayer "as a sensible, sincere and affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God through the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit for such things as God has promised or according to His word for the good of the church with submission in faith to the will of God." (John Bunyan, Praying in the Spirit, np, 1662). The church should be rallied frequently at the throne of grace to intercede for the members of the church, spiritual health and growth to praise and thank God corporately to the edification of saints. There is no greater means of grace bestowed upon the believer than the honour and prerogative of meeting God in private and corporate intercession.
An unknown Christian who wrote the book The Kneeling Christian once said, "The secret of all failure in prayer is our failure in secret prayer." It can be said that all want of success and all failure in our spiritual life and in Christian work is due to defective or insufficient prayer. In the same vein, all fruitfulness in service is the outcome of persevering and God-honouring prayer. One of the most important pre-occupations of a Christian is his/her relationship with God in daily communion and intercession for others. A believer’s vitality can be gauged not by his eloquence, zeal, orthodoxy or his energy but by his prayers.
It was said of David Brainerd, the missionary to the Red Indians (who influenced Jonathan Edwards, the great American Reformed Theologian) that he lived a life of holiness and prayer. His diary was full with the record of his seasons of fasting, prayer and meditation. He gave himself to daily contemplation and prayer, mortification, self-denial, humility and divorcement from the world. To be little with God in prayer is to be little with God in service. We are never so high as when we are on our knees before the Almighty Jehovah.
Consider the acronym, the ABCD of prayer; namely the Attitude, Basis, Content and Devotion/Discipline.
What is your understanding of prayer? Is it a daily chore, a privilege, a pleasure, a joy or drudgery? Why do you think God allowed this holy exercise of communication with Him directly? Prayer is one of the highest prerogatives accorded to man. To be granted this audience with the King of kings and Lord of lords is the highest honour ever to be bestowed upon mortal man. Yet many will not take this royal opportunity to commune and meet daily with the sovereign Monarch.
To approach the throne of grace requires godly reverence, fear and much humility. Kneeling gives us a good standing with God. Consider godly Daniel in hostile Babylon in Dan 6:10 "Now when Daniel …. kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime." A broken and contrite spirit God will not despise (Isa 66:2, Ps 51:10). The fervent, penitent and searching spirit God will always honour. The earnest seeker will always have his cause answered according to God’s will (1 Jn 5:13-15). Our attitude towards prayer determines our spiritual altitude with God. Consider the righteous prophet, Elijah with his fervent spirit, commended by God in James 5:16 "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
To be continued...
By Rev Jack Sin (Sovereign Hope BPC, Singapore) |
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