It would seem to be perfectly clear from the teaching of the Bible and
the Church, and from the experience of those who really pray, that men
and women can live lives of power, peace, and usefulness, whatever
their lot may be, if they would but pray. There it is before us. It
is the challenge of prayer. If you pray, you can do great things for
God and man.
There the challenge stands. "But", someone says, "I personally have
found it very difficult to pray, possibly my gifts lie in other
directions." This is often said as if the speaker thought he were
unique. He is quite right about one thing,--it is difficult to
pray,--but he is wrong in thinking he is unique. Prayer is one of the
hardest things to do. This is one of the reasons we shirk it. Do not
be surprised if you find it hard. "It is hard," someone has said,
"because it is high". Most things that are very well worth doing are
things we find hard, especially at first, to learn to do.
Now let these facts stand very clear before us. God asks us to pray to
Him. Of all the things we do, there is nothing that can be more worth
while doing. If we will do it, we most certainly will grow into better
and nobler and more useful men and women. But we shall find it hard to
do. Now let us be quite clear about the problem of the hardness of
prayer; there is only one thing to do about this subject of prayer, and
that is to pray. The only way to solve the problem of praying is by
praying. Nothing will do instead. In spite of the difficulties, in
spite of distractions, of weariness, of failure, of moods, of
coldness,--we pray. Nothing will do instead. Nothing else will solve
the problem. Reading books and listening to sermons on prayer will not
do instead. The only way to learn to pray is to pray. The people who
get things done are the people who, not having the time or the
inclination often, in spite of these things,--pray.
In a word, we have to treat prayer as work, as part of our definite
work as Christians. We know how it is with our work. We do it every
day. We do it whether we feel like doing it or not. We keep on doing
it day after day, month after month, year after year. Prayer is work.
We must treat it with the respect we give to our work. Again, what a
mistake it is to wait on the mood. What a mistake to say, "I do not
feel like praying to-day--perhaps to-morrow!" Our moods come and go.
They are very fragile things, rooted sometimes in trifling causes. One
of the greatest mistakes in this connection is to think that the
effectiveness of our prayers depends upon the particular state of our
feelings at the time. It often happens to people who pray that they
have found the greatest blessings they have won for themselves or for
others have been in times when "the heavens were brass", and they had
little or no sense of reality or warmth in prayer. It is said that the
difference between the professional and the amateur is that the amateur
depends on the mood, but the professional goes on with his work day
after day, paying no attention to a mood here and there. We must be,
in this sense, professionals. Prayer is part of our work as
Christians. Let moods come or go, the work must go on,--the great work
of Praise, Petition, Intercession, Thanksgiving.
Again, if there is one thing more than another that Our Lord was clear
about in His teaching concerning prayer, it is that we must be
persistent in our prayers. We must pray for an answer. This is not to
say that we are to pray until we receive the answer we wish, but until
we receive some light and leading in relation to the subject of our
prayers. It will not be necessary to do more than remind you of the
two parables on this subject in St. Luke's Gospel. There was once a
man upon whom there came an unexpected traveller one night, and he had
"nothing to set before him". He went to a friend at midnight and said,
"Friend, lend me three loaves," and would not go away until he had
received the loaves, but kept on asking and seeking and knocking. "I
say unto you", said Our Lord, "that though he will not rise because he
is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will arise and give
him as many as he needeth. And I say unto you, ask, and it shall be
given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto
you." And again, there was in a certain city a judge, "which feared
not God, and regarded not man", and to him came a widow with the
persistent plea, "Avenge me of mine adversary." And he would not for a
while, but afterward he said within himself, "Though I fear not God,
nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her,
lest by her continual coming she weary me". These two parables, taken
with Christ's own example in Gethsemane when He prayed three times
concerning "the cup", make it very clear that His followers, when they
decide this or that is a matter for definite prayer, must not leave
that petition or intercession out of their prayers until they have
received some answer, some light or leading from the God Who always
hears, and always answers earnest prayer.
And last of all, in answer to our question, How should we pray? we
should pray in that name which is above every name--the name of "the
one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus." We have this
great name to plead. Though in our weakness we feel unworthy to pray,
though in our ignorance we know not how to pray, and though with the
best of our prayers there is so much that is imperfect, we have in that
One Who ever lives to make intercession for us, One Who takes our poor
and imperfect acts of devotion and makes them to be heard in the
Presence of the Divine Majesty. It is "through Jesus Christ our Lord"
we pray. Here is our confidence. In this realization we find fresh
strength and hope for the whole work of prayer. His perfect knowledge
of our lives and of our temptations, coupled with His place of Honour
at the right hand of the Father, gives us great re-assurance that our
prayers come before that Throne with power. "Having then a great high
priest, Who hath passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us
hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot
be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been
in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us,
therefore, draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we
may receive mercy, and may find grace to help us in time of need."