Got the opportunity to speak on the prayer last Sunday night. It was the second time I've spoken at my now home church, www.firstmarblefalls.com.

Here is a basic rundown on my message about prayer...

Luke 11 Vs 1

"One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."

At first glance the scripture is simple and we see the apparent objective goal to learn how to pray. But here is the thing…you see, the disciples of John and Jesus both heard them speak and see great multitudes come just to hear the words that might come forth from them. We find John standing by the river preaching and even yelling at men to come and be baptized. He stirred the whole city up with his preaching on repentance. Even the politicians and priest had to see this man. Jesus also had this same affect. Everywhere he went people would follow him to hear the words that he might speak. We see stories of over 5000 people that were with him at one point just to hear him preach.

What is my point?

My point is why wasn’t the question, “Lord teach us to preach!”

I find it very interesting that they never asked him on how to speak to people like he did but they did wish to know how to pray as he did. Why? Perhaps it’s because they saw, like no one else, it is where Christ grew in strength. It was His prayer that healed the sick. It was his prayers that multiplied the bread and fishes. It was in prayer that he was comforted by his Father to commit himself unto the task at hand. The bible records that his prayer at the Mount of Olives was a usual thing for him.

Luke 22 Vs 39 thru 44

“Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat were drops of blood falling to the ground."

Prayer might have been a usual thing but praying in “anguish” (means to suffer great pain and distress) and praying “earnestly” insomuch that you body begins doing something abnormal? The humanity in Christ was suffering in fear of what lied ahead, however the spirit of the Living God was committed to do the Lords will. The proof is in the blood.

Let me read you this quote from C.H. Spurgeon, “The mental pressure arising from our Lord’s struggle with temptation, so forced his frame to an unnatural excitement, that his pores sent forth great drops of blood which fell down to the ground. This proves how tremendous must have been the weight of sin when it was able to crush the Savior so that he distilled great drops of blood! This demonstrates the mighty power of his love. This sets forth the voluntaries of Christ’s sufferings, since without a lance the blood flowed freely. No need to put on the leech, or apply the knife; it flows spontaneously. No need for the rulers to cry, “Spring up, O well;” of itself it flows in crimson torrents. If men suffer great pain of mind apparently the blood rushes to the heart. The cheeks are pale; a fainting fit comes on; the blood has gone inward as if to nourish the inner man while passing through its trial. But see our Savior in his agony; he is so utterly oblivious of self, that instead of his agony driving his blood to the heart to nourish himself, it drives it outward to bedew the earth. The agony of Christ, inasmuch as it pours him out upon the ground, pictures the fullness of the offering, which he made for men.”

This is prayer. Prayer demolishes self. E.M. Bounds says that “most people never enter the closet for they fear death to self above all else.” He further says that in “the prayer closet is a mirror that only reflects what God sees. We step into our closets and we can hide nothing from God. We can take no credit for our successes and can have no pride.”

I also like what Pastor Ravenhill says about this as well…

“No man is greater than his prayer life. The people, who are not praying, are playing.”
He further continues…

“We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players, few pray-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. The secret to praying is praying in secret. A sinning man will stop praying. A praying man will stop sinning.”

I can usually tell in the first 15 minutes or so of meeting someone what their prayer life is like. You know why? Because no one can sit here and tell me that if you were meeting with the Lord everyday face to face in prayer that you won’t come away more changed and transformed. In the prayer closet…self dies…and Christ rises. As the Spirit of Christ grows in you…you can’t help but become more like him.

Every prophet in the Old Testament can be summed up in two words, “they prayed”. “We are starving Moses”, the children of Israel shouted. So Moses prayed and manna was given. Elijah prayed and the fire fell down consuming all the false prophets. Nemaiah prayed and the wall was built. Ezra prayed and Israel was restored. Jeremiah prayed and he was given insight. Isaiah prayed and he was given a vision of the coming Christ. Christ prayed and he saved the world. The disciples prayed and we saw Pentecost. Paul prayed and Rome was turned upside down.

One of my favorite scriptures that I think about when I am talking about prayer is found in Mathew.

Mathew 24 Vs 3

“And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”

Where are they at…the Mount of Olives? Why am I pointing that out? I point that out to show you that it isn’t by coincidence that here we are back at the place where Christ prays, according to Luke’s gospel, “as usual”. Underline what it says right after it speaks the name of the place that they are at. It reads they came to him privately. What is prayer if it is not a place where you can go straight to the Lord privately and ask him to show you what you do not understand? All of our questions, all of our fears, all of our inner most being can be poured out to him in private. It means we have his full attention. We have the fullness of Christ wrapped up in a small moment in our secret place where he is ours and ours alone. His attention is fully given to us. Heaven has to be put on hold because His child beckons him to hear. Angels have to be ready at a moment’s notice when we pray, for God is quick to answer his beloved. We are his bride. His holy sanctified purchase. The question is not “will He listen to our prayers” but rather “why would he not listen to our prayers?”

Listen this is where I want to encourage you as a believer. Prayer is not your last resort…it’s the first. The bible says out of our own mouth is life and death. When I hear people say, “Well all you can do is pray”. I am beside myself. Praise God I can pray. My prayers are heard by the almighty God. Who can do more than him in any situation? It is prayer that stops wars, ends famine, save souls, and the list goes on.

Let me put this disclaimer in here before you go thinking I am some kind of super spiritual prayer warrior…God doesn’t answer me every time I pray…Let me tell you a story…

Over the past years, I mentored under an elder by the name of Merle. This man was a man of profound prayer and wisdom. His entire family is either Sunday school teachers or pastoring…not bad for a man who was a Human Resources manager and a biscuit factory. One of my favorite stories that Merle tells is how he was in a real pickle over a certain situation. A certain situation had presented itself that required great prayer. After praying for the situation for hours and hours…Merle looks up midstream in the story and say’s you know what the Lord said concerning the issue? Absolutely nothing… I love it! How many relate to that?

Everyone can relate to that story. It’s practically universal. However what Merle would later go on to explain is that sometimes prayer is not about getting an answer…sometimes prayer is about just leaning on God for support. Sometimes God will speak to us…and how can we know what God is saying if we aren’t praying? Listen…the very act of prayer is worship. Because when we pray...we acknowledge our inability and His sovereignty.