Prayer (Part 3 of 3)

When should we pray? Jesus prayed early in the morning, in the evening, all night. There was no pattern, just pray, whenever.

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1 Corinthians 3:9

1 Corinthians 6:1

Everything starts and finishes with Him, but He involves us. Throughout the Old Testament we can see scriptures where prayer is commanded.

Jeramiah 33:3

Yes, it’s Old Testament, but there are plenty of New Testament scriptures too. “In everything give thanks.”

Psalms 50:15

Isaiah 55:6

Luke 11:5-10

“Ask”. If we treat prayer as some sort of meditation – “I’m thinking about things” – that’s not asking God at all. I’m not saying you shouldn’t meditate. We meditate on the word. You can see God in creation. But it’s imperative for us to ask.

I’m becoming more convinced if you keep a record of what you ask God, you can refer back, because the answer comes. God delights to involve us. Keep a record. I think as a church we should keep a record. Ask, and it shall be given unto you.

Matthew 26:41

Hebrews 4:16

“Prayer is not an end in itself. It’s not something done to be rested in, not something we’ve done about which we are to congratulate ourselves. It’s a means to an end. It’s something we do which brings something in return. Prayer always aims at securing an answer.”

That’s not to puff us up. But as we are co-workers together with Him, it’s God’s delight to answer because as we get involved with Him, so we want to do His will, and He lines everything up so He initiates the prayer acording to His will. But when you pray, aim at securing an answer.

“It is not the mere performance, the attitude or the word, but that answer sent directly from heaven. Answered prayer is the mark of God in our praying. It realises a relationship with the unseen. God accepts our prayers through the atoning blood, and gives His presence and grace in return.”

There used to be a national day of prayer in wartime. In May 1940, the situation in Europe was catastrophic. On May 23, various people issued a call to a national day of prayer to be held on Sunday May 26th. Just 24 hours later Hitler inexplicably ordered his armies to halt. Two days later, the nation gathered to pray. Church attendance sky-rocketed. People pleaded with God to spare those at Dunkirk. In reality it turned out to be a dramatic turning point. An evacuation was undertaken. The German armies remained in place until early June. No one knows why even now. For nine days they shelled Dunkirk, but during this time 336,000 men were saved.

You don’t hear many national days of prayer at the moment. Maybe we will. What caused that was the pressure of the situation. Since we’ve been holding these meetings, it could well be there’s a situation in your life where the circumstances have been such that this talk on prayer has been timely for you.

John 15:5-8

What does it mean to abide in Christ? You are so in line with Him, where He said, “Nevertheless not my will ...” That’s your stance. I want to do God’s will. Translate that into your prayer life, initiated by the Holy Spirit, and it’s in line with what He wants. He prepares things for us to waLuke into. The whole thing is initiated by Him. In such a relationship there is no conflict. I want to do His will, so what I ask will be according to His will. I begin to want what He wants. That’s the bottom line.

Reference to books by Jim Simbala. He would say the whole basis of his church was prayer. “An attentive willing heart is the great need of the hour. Programs, talent and human energy will never accomplish what one man in close touch with God can do.”

Blank sheet of paper. What will it be? Wheel-spin? Or God-directed activity?

It starts with God. By His Holy Spirit He prompts us, lays something on our hearts.
“It is not the utterance of words, alone the felling of desires, but is the advance of the desires to God.”

There's a story about a lady who was in the background of a situation but she was influential because she prayed.

You may not have the energy to knock up a brick wall. But supernatural prayer initiated by God, enacted by you, is a power-house.

Back to the lady. She was a woman twisted and distorted by suffering. In 1872 she was bed-ridden, praying that God would send revival to the church of which she was a member, but could not attend. She had read the story of Moody’s work in Chicago. She prayed that God would send him to the church. She had no means of reaching him. But then the pastor of her church met him, and asked him to speak. He agreed. Moody was surprised when hundreds came forward. Meetings were repeated during the following ten days, and 400 were added to the church. Moody enquired and found out about the girl.

“That girl was a member of my church. When in 1901 I was leaving England for America, I went to see her. She pointed me to a birthday book in which Moody had written, and said to me, ‘Moody wrote that when he came to see me in 1872, and I prayed for him every day. Will you add your name to my book and let me pray for you until you or I go home?’

“I shall never forget writing my name in that book. The room was full of the presence. Marianne Adlard continued to pray until she went home.

“These are the heroes and heroines who labour in prayer out of sight make it possible for those in sight to labour.”

Prayer is simply asking God to do for us what He has promised He will do if we ask Him. God’s doing the thing is as much part of the prayer as is our asking.
Think of three phases of prayer.

Phase 1 is the revelation of the father.

Phase 2 is the mediation of the Son.

Phase 3 is the inspiration of the Spirit.

The revelation of the Father: Christ has made such a revelation of the father as creates in our hearts a desire for prayer. “Father”, “Father”, “Father”. It’s God’s revelation in your heart which enables you to say that too. He has given you by that revelation the desire for communication in prayer.

The mediation of the Son: He has done such work for us as admits us to the presence of God that we might have the right to pray. He ever liveth to make intercession for us. And yet we are co-workers with Him.

The inspiration of the Spirit: Upon the accomplishment of His work and as its crowing glory, He pours forth His spirit who, by indwelling, is the inspiration of our prayer.

You get the idea. The pressures in your life are there prompting you to pray. That’s God-initiated. The outworking is you having access to the Father through the Son. And His delight is for you to become a co-worker with Him as He answers. Keep a record of what you pray.

Quotes: “The indwelling spirit how knows the will of God creates our new aspirations and out of these comes our prayer. Thus, standing in the light of the revealed Father through the mediation of His Son and answering the inspiration of the indwelling spirit, we pray.”

Don’t think if I make a list of who I might pray for, that’s too formal. If you can’t remember things, write them on a list. But in addition, allow for the fact that God may lay other people on your heart too as you pray.

By the mercy of the father, by the merit of the mediation of the Son, by the might of the inspiring spirit, prayer is possible.

Luke 18:1-8

Men ought always to pray and not to faint.

Should we pray for things more than once? Yes – if God hasn’t given the answer, pray again. The circumstances of life are such that if you need the answer, God will answer. He’ll answer in the way He wants, but He will answer.

Luke 18:9-15

As we’ve been talking about prayer, don’t take a pride in the fact that you are beginning to pray.

The second man realised his position and just came to taLuke. He wasn’t building up a CV for himself in prayer. The matter of supreme importance is the cultivation of the habit of prayer. We aren’t going to become a monastery. But it’s a good thing to cultivate prayer. Nothing is more important in our lives.

Matthew 18:19-21

I think it would be good (not in any formalised way) but if anyone wants to link up and form two, do it – and pray together. If Jesus said this, then it can’t be a bad thing to do. We’re a bit reticent, so I’m not going to force the issue. I just want to point out what these verses say. Am I taking this out of context? No. I happen to think this will happen in the church quite naturally.

Account of a lady who prayed for her unsaved husband – an American politician. God challenged her as to whether she was ready for the consequences, but He answered her prayer.

Fascinating to read of different accounts of how God initiates the prayer and causes the answer to come to fulfil His purposes.

Some of you are teachers. Each day bring those children one by one before God. You have a tremendous responsibility as a teacher. You have the curriculum. But in a Christian school you can pray that the way you go about your teaching, your demeanour ... that you’ll communicate the fact that you’re a Christian.

Two things in particular about prayer. It has to be definite, not vague. And the whole idea of importunity – making the most of the moment, and keeping on. At Trinity Jacob refused to let the angel go until he blessed him. Let’s be even more like Trinity in our private life with God.


But there needs also to be submission ...

Submission to the form in which the answer will come.

Submission to the method of the answer.

Submission to the time of the answer.


The common denominator is that there is an answer. He delights to answer and He will.
Specifically at one time, Jesus prayed:

John 17:20-22

That’s very specific. It’s a prayer for you and me. It’s incredibly specific. “This is what I’m praying – that they all may be one, that they may be one in us, that the world may believe thou hast sent me.”

Matthew 9:36-39

Was that just for His disciples to pray? No. I was taking to someone today about the fact that we need to be very aware of who God is sorting out for the future of their life, that they become someone sent of God to become a labourer in His harvest. That will become a known phenomenon that there will be those equipped and sent of God into the harvest. We need to pray that those labourers will be sent.

If you look at the end of most of the letters of Paul, you can see how specific he was about praying.

Ephesians 6:17-19

“Supplication for all saints, and for me – specifically that I may open my mouth boldly.”

Philippians 4:6

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Not meditation, not meandering, but specific.

Colossians 4:2-4

Thessalonians 5:16-19

Thessalonians 3:1-3

Two specifics – that the word may have free course, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men.

Hebrews 13:18

Words of Wilberforce: “I fear I have not studied the scriptures enough. Surely in the summer recess I ought to read them an hour or two every day ... God will prosper me better if I wait on Him. The experience of all good Christians is that without prayer, things stagnate ...”

I don’t think it was self-flagellation. It was just that he wanted to get the priorities in terms of prayer to God.

Of Colnelius it was said he prayed to God always.

Colossians 4:12

Be specific. Be definite.

Spurgeon: “One time alone in prayer might make us new Christians, changed from poverty of soul to spiritual worth. From trembling to triumphing. We have an example in the life of Jacob. A night in prayer changed the supplanter into a prevailing prince ... Could not we at least now and then in these weary earth-bound years hedge about a single night for such an enriching traffic with the skies? For wealth and science men will quite their warm couches, and can we not do it for men’s souls? ... Up sluggish heart – Jesus calls thee. Rise and go forth to meet the heavenly friend in the place where He manifests Himself.”