Prayer

1: THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER

THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER

With startling and overwhelming force the tremendous importance of prayer is set forth in “ (NASB95)18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, “

18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

Power and Peace in Prayer Chapter 1: The Importance of Prayer

When we stop to weigh the meaning of these words, then note the connection in which they are found, the intelligent child of God is driven to say, “I must pray, pray, pray. I must put all my energy and all my heart into prayer. Whatever else I do, I must pray.”

Power and Peace in Prayer Chapter 1: The Importance of Prayer

When we stop to weigh the meaning of these words, then note the connection in which they are found, the intelligent child of God is driven to say, “I must pray, pray, pray. I must put all my energy and all my heart into prayer. Whatever else I do, I must pray.”

Power and Peace in Prayer Chapter 1: The Importance of Prayer

Note the alls: “with all prayer,” “at all seasons,” “in all perseverance,” “for all the saints.” Note the piling up of strong words, “prayer,” “supplication,” “perseverance.” Note once more the strong expression, “watching thereunto,” more literally, “being sleepless thereunto.” Paul realized the natural slothfulness of man, and especially his natural slothfulness in prayer. How seldom we pray things through! How often the church and the individual get right up to the verge of a great blessing in prayer and just then let go, get drowsy and quit. I wish that these words “being sleepless unto prayer” might burn into our hearts. I wish the whole verse might burn into our hearts.

Power and Peace in Prayer Chapter 1: The Importance of Prayer

But why is this constant, persistent, sleepless, overcoming prayer so needful?

1. Because there is a Devil.

He is cunning, he is mighty, he never rests, he is ever plotting the downfall of the child of God; and if the child of God relaxes in prayer the Devil will succeed in ensnaring him.

This is the thought of the context. Verse 12 reads: “For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (R.V.). Then comes verse 13: “Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand” (R.V.). Next follows a description of the different parts of the Christian’s armor which we are to put on if we are to stand against the Devil and his mighty wiles. Then Paul brings all to a climax in verse 18, telling us that to all else we must add prayer—constant, persistent, untiring, sleepless prayer in the Holy Spirit or all else will go for nothing.

Power and Peace in Prayer Chapter 10: When to Pray

3. Jesus Christ prayed before all the great crises in His earthly life.

He prayed before choosing the twelve disciples; before the sermon on the mount; before starting out on an evangelistic tour; before His anointing with the Holy Spirit and His entrance upon His public ministry; before announcing to the Twelve His approaching death; before the great consummation of His life at the cross (Luke 6:12, 13; Luke 9:18, 21, 22; Luke 3:21, 22; Mark 1:35–38; Luke 2:39–46). He prepared for every important crisis by a protracted season of prayer. So ought we to do also. Whenever any crisis of life is seen to be approaching we should prepare for it by a season of very definite prayer to God. We should take plenty of time for this prayer.

4. Christ prayed not only before the great events and victories of His life, but He also prayed after its great achievements and important crises.

Power and Peace in Prayer Chapter 10: When to Pray

4. Christ prayed not only before the great events and victories of His life, but He also prayed after its great achievements and important crises.

When He had fed the five thousand with the five loaves and two fishes and the multitude desired to take Him and make Him king, having sent them away He went up into the mountain apart to pray and spent hours there alone in prayer to God (Matt. 14:23; John 6:15). So He went on from victory to victory.

It is more common for most of us to pray before the great events of life than it is to pray after them but the latter is as important as the former. If we would pray after the great achievements of life we might go on to still greater; as it is we are often either puffed up or exhausted by the things that we do in the name of the Lord and so we advance no further.

2: Most interesting and solemn passages upon prayer

One of the most interesting and solemn passages upon prayer in the Bible is along this line (). “Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” According to this passage there is only one way in which we can be prepared for the coming of the Lord when He appears; that is through much prayer.

Torrey, R. A. (n.d.). Power and Peace in Prayer (p. 14). Westchester, IL: Good News Publishers.

2: Jesus Christ gave a special time to prayer when life was unusually busy.

He would withdraw in such a time from the multitudes that thronged about Him and go into the wilderness and pray. For example, we read in , , “But so much the more went abroad the report concerning him and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed of their infirmities. But he withdrew himself in the deserts and prayed” (R. V.).

Some men are so busy that they find no time for prayer. Apparently the busier Christ’s life was the more He prayed. Sometimes He had no time to eat (); sometimes He had no time for needed rest and sleep (, , ); but He always took time to pray; and the more the work crowded the more He prayed.

Torrey, R. A. (n.d.). Power and Peace in Prayer (p. 56). Westchester, IL: Good News Publishers.

3: Jesus Christ prayed before the great temptations of His life.

Jesus Christ prayed before the great temptations of His life.

As He drew nearer and nearer to the cross and realized that upon it was to come the great final test of His life, Jesus went out into the garden to pray. He came “unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here while I go and pray yonder” (). The victory of Calvary was won that night in the garden of Gethsemane. The calm majesty of His bearing in meeting the awful onslaughts of Pilate’s Judgment Hall and of Calvary was the outcome of the struggle, agony and victory of Gethsemane. While Jesus prayed the disciples slept so He stood fast while they fell ignominiously.

Many temptations come upon us unawares and unannounced and all that we can do is to lift a cry to God for help then and there; but many of the temptations of life we can see approaching from the distance and in such cases the victory should be won before the temptation really reaches us.

In we read, “Pray without ceasing,” and in (R. V.), “Praying at all seasons.”

Our whole life should be a life of prayer. We should walk in constant communion with God. There should be a constant upward looking of the soul to God. We should walk so habitually in His presence that even when we awake in the night it would be the most natural thing in the world for us to speak to Him in thanksgiving or in petition.

Torrey, R. A. (n.d.). Power and Peace in Prayer (pp. 57–58). Westchester, IL: Good News Publishers.

Power and Peace in Prayer Why General Revival Is Needed

The need is clear. What then shall we do? Pray. Take up the Psalmist’s prayer, “Revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee.” Take up Ezekiel’s prayer, “Come from the four winds, O breath [breath of God], and breathe upon these slain that they may live.” Hark, I hear a noise! Behold a shaking! I can almost feel the breeze upon my cheek. I can almost see the great living army rising to their feet. Shall we not pray and pray and pray and pray