Prayer

 
That we should pray I have no doubt

But how is another matter,

Pray without ceasing is advised

But bear in mind there’s a lot of chatter.

Add to this the pronouncements we hear

Like such and such is a prayer warrior

And as if that were not enough

We also hear that he or she is an intercessor.

The more I learn this Christian walk

The more the questions arrive

Concerning the intricacies of prayer

And how it would help us to survive.

I have a theoretical savvy of prayer

It’s riveted in the Holy Word

But a myriad of thoughts also fills my mind

Of some of them I am sure you have heard.

Jesus prayed the Bible shows

And if he did how much more we

But he was always sure whenever he prayed

Concerning his destiny.

He left heaven with a clear blueprint

Regarding his purpose here on earth,

The Bible makes that clear, very clear to us

Even from the prophecy of his birth.

It is true as in one case we know

There appeared to be a battle of the wills

But his will was always in tune with God’s

As he submitted to his Father still.

But how do we reconcile that with us

Who clearly don’t know as much

But pretend to have it all worked out

And are experts in praying as such?

I must confess I am not thus endowed,

In such I am one of the least of the apostles

But however so I must appreciate

That I am still one of Jesus’ disciples.

  

Believe you me this means a lot

Especially when my way grows dark,

I know that he is always with me

Even when I can’t sense him in my heart.

I’ve often heard, “prayer changes things”

And that I did not really understand

For I believe very strongly in my heart

That God operates according to His plan.

The Bible shows us very clearly

That God has a general and universal plan

But often when we deal with specifics

We must consider the will of man.

That God is Sovereign is very clear

And He always has the final say

But men and women also make decisions

Which influence our lives each day.

How do we reconcile the two of these

Particularly when assessing the notion of prayer?

To me it is not as clear as some make out

And therein lie my doubts and fears.

That we should pray I have no doubt

But really, tell me, what really should we say

When God’s plan is all worked out

And He has already mapped out each day?

We know that God does not change His mind

So what is the use of praying?

Is it just so we can talk to Him?

Is there some way of knowing?

Is prayer the ritual that we recite?

Is it a body of words that we should learn?

Is it now I lay me down to sleep

Or something more elaborate and firm?

Are there special people designated to pray?

Are they gifted beyond most believers?

Do they have an inside track to the ear of God?

Are they automatic prayer receivers?

Sometimes I get the impression

That there are really such gifted persons

That can storm the portals of heaven

To receive the expected answers to our questions.

This is the stance that some assemblies take

As they pray to our Father above

That He will grant them whatever they ask

Since for them He has a special love.

Some hold that it depends on how we live

That determines if God will answer our prayer

And others posit it’s a matter of faith

And we don’t receive on account of our fears.

 And I wonder as I reflect on all of this

What kind of person is the God to whom I pray?

Is it the intelligent way I phrase my words

That helps Him to understand what I say?

I kind of thought He knew everything

And as my Father He would treat me as His child

But when I hear what some preachers say

I could see why some would feel denied.

I want to think that prayer is a relationship

Between my Father and me

But all day long some drill in my ears

To be politically correct is what should be.

It’s almost like under the old covenant

When everything had to be precise,

In order to appease the God above

The high priest must present that sacrifice.

Today it would seem in some ways

That we have returned to a similar time

When church leaders and other believers

Are returning to that Old Testament design.

Call for the elders advised the apostle James

But we have determined who they are

And depending on our interpretation of the Word

Unless an elder prays we won’t get very far.

Yet we are bold to assuredly announce

That the Spirit indwells every believer

And that as long as that person is born again

He of the Spirit has been a receiver.

The Word of God makes it explicitly clear

That oft we know not how we should pray

But the Holy Spirit intercedes for us

And no doubt God will always hear.

For the Spirit knows the mind of God

And he has already searched our hearts,

He knows precisely what we need

And he knew this from the start.

So why should we petition God

When it is established that He knows our needs?

Why should we agonize and supplicate

When He’s our heavenly Father indeed?

Why is healing effected for one

And on the other hand is not for another?

Why does one believer breeze through life

And rough times always pursue his brother?

Why do some believers live a long time

And other believers live only a short while? 

Why do some givers still struggle to pay their bills

While other believers enjoy a grand lifestyle?

These and more are the myriads of questions

We ask as we walk this Christian way,

No doubt the answers are in the Word of God

But are we prepared to do what He says?

Prayer for me is the heart’s sincere thoughts

That only the Spirit can interpret

We try as much as we possibly can

But do not always appreciate our limit.

So pray because God commands it

Make your requests known to God; you should

But know that the guarantee is in the peace He gives

He loves us as His children not because we are good.

We pray with intellects that are flawed

And from hearts full of selfish intent

And often approach God with an enormous list

Of requests we hope will be heaven-sent.

The persons for whom we ceaselessly pray

Mean an awful lot to us

But for those who don’t reckon much

Over them there needs be no fuss.

We pray for the success of God’s mission

And when there is a lack of souls

We beat ourselves over our heads

As though we can pray someone into the fold.

“God’s will be done,” believers often say

But this is rendered more like a cliché

For when things occur differently from expected

It is blamed on not having faith when we pray.

To me our prayer should be largely thanksgiving

For all God’s blessings and the fact we are living,

He responds to our needs even before we pray

And he does this repeatedly each and every day.

Adoration and praise should punctuate our prayers

For there is none to compare to our God,

Fretting and bickering should decrease as we grow

For in doing such we exalt Satan, the fraud.

Our petitioning should focus more on others

Mostly that they would come to know the way

And that our rulers would depend upon God

Who gives direction to order each day.

Our prayer should be a tuning into God

To understand His will and purpose for our life,

Meditating on His Word deep in our hearts

And be not participants in Satan’s strife.

Listening to God is the principal thing,

Far more important than our many words,

Waiting in silence as we contemplate His word

Even though to some that may appear absurd.

Lord help us to stop talking and listen a while

To what it is you are saying to us

So that we may be directed concerning how to pray

In the name of your Son and our Savior, Jesus.

Amen!

Stewart Russell © May, 2017