Christ’s disciples asked Jesus – ”Lord, teach us to pray…” (Luke 11:1) They did not ask Jesus to teach them how to preach, or how to cast out demons but they asked Him HOW to pray.
In 2 Chronicles 20 we read that Jehoshaphat was facing a great army. Although fearful, he prayed for help. Even though he had no idea what to do, he set his eyes upon God and waited for deliverance. He prayed – ”O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” (Verse 12) What was God’s answer? ”Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.” (verse 15)
Hannah went up to worship God at the temple. And as she prayed, she ”wept bitterly” (1 Samuel 1:10). She prayed for a son, whom she promised to give back to God in loving service. She was pouring out her heart. How did God respond? A priest, Eli, approached her and said, ”Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him” (1 Samuel 1:17) God knows our innermost thoughts and understands our anguish and offers to lighten our burdens and carry them for us.
One of the most unique and well-known prayers of the Old Testament is the prayer of Jabez. Although there is nothing known of Jabez outside of a few texts in the Bible, his prayer has impacted millions of lives. ”Now Jabez was more honourable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, ’Because I bore him in pain.’ And Jabez called out to God, praying – ’Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!’ So God granted him what he requested. 1 Chronicles 4:9, 10
Jabez pleaded for a blessing, for an enlarged territory, and for God’s presence and strength – to keep him from evil so that he may not cause pain to others. What if we all prayed for this same kind of blessing, as Jabez did? Through Christ, He can bless us so that we can be a blessing to others.
King David, who was known for his constant communion with God, prayed in Psalm 51 – ”Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will be converted to You. Psalms 51:9-13. God’s answer of mercy to David’s prayer is the same answer of mercy we can receive from Him today.
The Bible, in 1 John 1:9, provides God’s answer about the forgiveness of sin. ”If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
One of the most important lessons we can learn for our prayer lives is found in the tax collector’s prayer in Luke 18 – ”God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ The simple lesson in this prayer? If we want true connection with God, we need to realize our brokenness. Healing begins from acknowledgment of our brokenness and a firm reliance on God’s grace.
In all our persistent prayers to God, we should: ”Seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33
May our prayers echo the words of the psalmist: ”I love the Lord, because He hears My voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.” (Psalm 116:1, 2)
Other Biblical heroes of prayer include Daniel, who prayed in spite of threats; Abraham, the great intercessor for Sodom; Moses, who pleaded for his people; and Elijah, who commanded the heavens to withhold rain. Esther, Hezekiah, and the prophetess Anna also exemplify powerful prayer in difficult circumstances, showing deep reliance on God for deliverance, wisdom, and guidance.
A missionary friend Matthias wrote in a newsletter recently – ”Sometimes we do not come immediately to God in prayers, but only after some hesitation—like the priest Zechariah. To him the angel Gabriel said: ”Your prayers have been heard by God.”
Abba Father, thank You that You hear and see the desires of our hearts, especially those that align with You will. May we be diligent, faithful and genuine in our prayers, no matter where we are or what we are busy doing.
Myrtle Turunen
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