The Lutheran Ambassador - July 15, 1986
In a recent survey on the practice of prayer
in the United States, it was indicated that the average layperson spends four
minutes a day in prayer and the average Pastor seven minutes. The survey also
indicated that only 1% of husbands and wives have any meaningful prayer
together. E.M. Bounds has observed, "Little prayer is the characteristic
of a backslidden age and of a backslidden church. Whenever there is little
prayer in the pulpit or in the pew, spiritual bankruptcy is imminent and
inevitable."
The word of God contains an abundance of invitations, promises and instructions regarding prayer; yet, many who claim to be Christians neglect prayer or restrict it to "saying grace" at meals and participating in prayers at church. Many feel themselves embarrassed when asked to take part in prayer. Many live day after day without resorting to prayer in the common concerns of their daily lives. Many adults pray less than they did as children. Husbands and wives live together for years without a regular time of prayer. Family devotions are neglected because of the press of other activities or they are conducted in routine fashion because of the decline of a living faith in Christ. How altogether appropriate and urgent that renewal in the practice of prayer is being encouraged throughout our Association of Free Lutheran Congregations! Our Lord's invitation to pray and His gracious promises to hear us should lead us to a rich practice of daily prayer.
In the Gospel of Matthew, our Lord sets before his own a very distinct invitation. This invitation to pray comes as a directive to all those who follow Him.
The word of God contains an abundance of invitations, promises and instructions regarding prayer; yet, many who claim to be Christians neglect prayer or restrict it to "saying grace" at meals and participating in prayers at church. Many feel themselves embarrassed when asked to take part in prayer. Many live day after day without resorting to prayer in the common concerns of their daily lives. Many adults pray less than they did as children. Husbands and wives live together for years without a regular time of prayer. Family devotions are neglected because of the press of other activities or they are conducted in routine fashion because of the decline of a living faith in Christ. How altogether appropriate and urgent that renewal in the practice of prayer is being encouraged throughout our Association of Free Lutheran Congregations! Our Lord's invitation to pray and His gracious promises to hear us should lead us to a rich practice of daily prayer.
In the Gospel of Matthew, our Lord sets before his own a very distinct invitation. This invitation to pray comes as a directive to all those who follow Him.
"Ask,
and it will be given to you; seek, and you will
find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone
who asks receives, and he who seeks finds,
and to him who knocks it will be opened."
(Matthew 7:7-8 - NASB)
To ask, to seek, and to knock indicates a realization of need. This sense of need is fundamental to a growing prayer life. As the Holy Spirit is allowed to reveal through the Word our deep need for the grace of God because of our sin, for assurance because of our proneness to doubt the absoluteness of God's forgiveness, for wisdom and truth because of our inability to perceive spiritual realities, and for guidance because of our tendency to wander from God's will, we come again and again as helpless ones. To such, our Lord gives repeated promise, "… it shall be given you… you shall find.. it shall be opened unto you." How encouraging to know who is giving such assuring promises --- Jesus, the very Son of God!
We find in the Gospel of John another gracious invitation from our Lord to pray.
"…Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full" (John 16:23-24 - NASB)
The words of our Lord reveal His understanding of our difficulty in believing that access to God in prayer is really possible or meaningful. His use of "truly " to introduce the invitation is intended to underline the complete trustworthiness of His promise to answer. His deliberate indication of who is issuing the invitation ("I say to you") serves to accent the vital difference it makes that the very Son of God is speaking. Again, the simple directive to "ask" emphasizes the importance of the spirit of helplessness if one is to feel the need to pray. The promise is quick from our Lord for all those who pray in His powerful Name, "You shall receive." As further encouragement, He speaks of the result of responding to His invitation, "…that your joy may be made full." Let us accept the gracious invitation of our Lord.
(Matthew 7:7-8 - NASB)
To ask, to seek, and to knock indicates a realization of need. This sense of need is fundamental to a growing prayer life. As the Holy Spirit is allowed to reveal through the Word our deep need for the grace of God because of our sin, for assurance because of our proneness to doubt the absoluteness of God's forgiveness, for wisdom and truth because of our inability to perceive spiritual realities, and for guidance because of our tendency to wander from God's will, we come again and again as helpless ones. To such, our Lord gives repeated promise, "… it shall be given you… you shall find.. it shall be opened unto you." How encouraging to know who is giving such assuring promises --- Jesus, the very Son of God!
We find in the Gospel of John another gracious invitation from our Lord to pray.
"…Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full" (John 16:23-24 - NASB)
The words of our Lord reveal His understanding of our difficulty in believing that access to God in prayer is really possible or meaningful. His use of "truly " to introduce the invitation is intended to underline the complete trustworthiness of His promise to answer. His deliberate indication of who is issuing the invitation ("I say to you") serves to accent the vital difference it makes that the very Son of God is speaking. Again, the simple directive to "ask" emphasizes the importance of the spirit of helplessness if one is to feel the need to pray. The promise is quick from our Lord for all those who pray in His powerful Name, "You shall receive." As further encouragement, He speaks of the result of responding to His invitation, "…that your joy may be made full." Let us accept the gracious invitation of our Lord.
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