Word of Encouragement (1/8/2021)
Yesterday, we talked about how prayer does not guarantee security and protection from trouble. This is not to say that God disregards all our prayers for protection. God uses our prayers to shield us from many troubles—but not from all. We talked about why: because He uses suffering and pain for our good. So, our goal in prayer should not be simply to get what we desire or to be protected from all troubles. Then, what is our prayer for? We said that prayer is our declaration of our reliance on God, not in the city of man. But we must now see that we do not look to God in prayer because God is more reliable than the city of man to give us what we want to obtain in the city of man and help us keep it.
What do we do in prayer? We speak to God. In speaking to God, we look up to God. Could it be that the ultimate purpose of prayer is not to ask God to shower His blessings down on us but to carry our hearts up to God in heaven? Jesus resisted Satan’s temptation to turn stones into bread by saying, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). This was the very lesson God wanted to teach the Israelites in the wilderness (Deut. 8:3). These words show that man is made up of both body (which requires bread for its sustenance and vitality) and spirit (which requires God’s Word for its sustenance and vitality).
Similarly, prayer can be likened to spiritual breathing. Martin Luther said, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” Jonathan Edwards said, “Prayer is as natural an expression of faith as breathing is to life.” Maybe, this is why Paul exhorted Christians to pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). These are expressions of our intense and constant need for God’s presence and His communion with us. It is how God keeps us spiritually alive and energizes us.
You may not agree with the analogy of prayer as spiritual breathing. You haven’t had a meaningful time of prayer for a while and you seem to be doing OK. Even those who pray regularly don’t pray as often as they breathe, do they? Fair. Just because you don’t pray doesn’t mean you are not a believer and you are spiritually dead. But maybe it is because God has provided you with a spiritual ventilator that you are still alive without praying for so long. We can say that, if a person is on a ventilator, he is definitely not doing well, though alive. He can’t do much spiritually if he’s on a spiritual ventilator. Yes, he may be alive but that’s no way to live.
If there is something life-giving and energizing about prayer, it is because it’s a time of fellowship with God. As social beings, we often experience the life-giving, energizing effects of fellowship with others, especially with those who love us and whom we can trust. There is a sense of warmth and security in being in their presence and having their undivided attention. There is deep joy when our hearts make music together in a wonderful harmony of thought, purpose, and interest. There is strong encouragement and comfort when we can open up our hearts to one another and share our deepest concerns and cares. If we can gain such things from fellowshipping with flawed and faulty sinners, imagine what we can gain from communing with God, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort! What a terrible loss it is not to pray, especially when Jesus suffered and died for us so we can approach God as our heavenly Father and enjoy His attention and love and care! May the Spirit of the Lord turn your heart toward God and open your lips in prayer this very moment so you can bask in His goodness and love toward you in Jesus Christ!