II Chronicles 7:14 “If my people shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
There are many beautiful names for prayer in sacred and secular literature. It has been called the “Wicket Gate,” the “Ladder to Heaven” and Tennyson says:
“... More things are wrought by prayer
Than this world dreams of.
Wherefore let thy voice
Rise like a fountain for me night and day.
For what are men better than sheep or goats
That nourish a blind life within the brain.
If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer
Both for themselves and those who they call friend?
For so this whole wide world is bound
By golden chains about the feet of God...”
Let us think of prayer as the golden chain that binds us to our God. But such a chain has a double purpose, for it also binds God to us. Through prayer we are beautifully linked together in an inescapable relationship.
And prayer changes things. There is no question about the truth of that saying, at least in the lives of people who have courageously experimented by venturing their all upon God's grace. But more important, prayer changes us.
“Lord, what a difference one short hour
spent in Thy presence doth work.
We kneel, how weak!
We rise, how full of power?”
We do not need the advice of learned psychologists to reassure us of the inward power of prayer. The merest attempt on our part will bring us to the same personal conclusion. Prayer changes us. It helps us. It strengthens us.
Prayer tunes us in to God. Doubtless you have turned on your radio at some time and heard only muffled sounds, static and noise. But with a little turn of the dial, you tuned the station in properly and the sound came to your ears clear and true. The right kind of prayer is comparable to that. It tunes us in on God's wavelength, and helps us to hear his message for us, so that we may live and act in accordance with it. Prayer is most effective when it makes it possible for us to see and understand God's will.
The wrong kind of prayer, on the other hand, is the futile attempt to explain to God what we want, or to tell God what He shall do for us. That kind of prayer is like the proverbial letter from the college boy to his parents at home, which always begins, “Dear Dad: Please send me by return mail…” Such prayer does not deserve an answer, and usually receives what it deserves.
If prayer is a means of learning God's will, that our lives may be directed and strengthened to face the realities of every-day life with God's help, it will do us good to examine the methods by which we can properly pray to God. Prayer is such a wide subject, taking so many different forms under different circumstances, that I am narrowing it down for present consideration to a series of 5 Biblical injunctions which tell us that we should pray contritely, consistently, conscientiously, concentratedly, and consciously. And lest this seem an overwhelming series of large words, let us face them one at a time.
Contrite prayer is described in our text. The work of the Lord there recorded says that people should humble themselves before praying. However, human experience teaches us that humility is one of the most difficult virtues to attain. We are not by nature humble creatures, at least in our own estimation. Our natural tendency is to think more highly of ourselves than circumstances would logically permit. So God says, “Humble yourself.”
Travellers in the Swiss Alps tell of a great castle on top of a mountain, famous for its two huge halls. The first of these is a Hall of Mirrors. As the visitor enters this Hall, he finds himself surrounded completely by mirrors. Every wall is so covered, that no matter where he looks, he sees his own reflection, not once, but a hundred times. He cannot escape it, for even the ceiling and the floor are mirror-like. Many of us live all our lives in that kind of a room, and frankly, it is boring after a very short time. Wherever we look in this world, we see ourselves reflected. Our own selfishness, our own pettiness, our own needs, our own troubles, multiplied a hundred times within the range of our own vision.
I remember a cartoon of some years ago, which pictured a vain woman peeking at herself in a mirror and saying “Boo, you beautiful creature.” Sad to say, that is a real picture of life as many people live it. All is vanity and pride, and they spend their days and years looking into the mirror that reflects their own sin.
The second hall in this fabulous Swiss castle is a Hall of Windows. From every point, the visitor looks out and sees breathtaking views of mountain scenery. They say it is like stepping out of prison. It is a lesson in the grandeur of God's creation, and human humility. Our great need is to move out of the Hall of Mirrors and take up our abode in the Hall of Windows; to get away from ourselves, realize our humble estate; and look toward God.
A woman writer once had great trouble with her eyes, for she felt that they were failing and blindness threatened. The doctor to whom she went for help said, “This is only muscular. When you are reading or writing for any length of time, leave your desk at least once every hour, and go to the window, and look across the fields to some far distant tree or hill for a few minutes. Then you'll find your eyes strengthened so that you can carry on your work.”
That far-distant look is what we all need. From the bench in our work-shop, the desk in our office, the work-table in our homes, or whatever earth-bound task may hold us prisoner, let us raise our eyes to the sky, and look toward God. I mean this figuratively, of course, for prayer is the far-distant look of the soul that brings us peace and rest.
A girl told me once of a dream she had. She was climbing a high mountain, and doing very well for a while. But with each step, the way became harder and the road more rough. Finally the briars tore at her clothes and scratched her flesh, the path became almost perpendicular and she was forced to cry “I can't make it alone.”
Life frequently presents us with impossible tasks. We think we are strong, and we bravely try to tackle them with our human powers. But sooner or later the realization comes upon us that we cannot climb the mountain of life by ourselves, without some help. And as we stagger up the path, in pain or tears or distress, the Hand of God is there to support us, to strengthen us and to help us climb on. Bur first, before that helping Hand can influence our lives, we must become aware of our weakness, and humble ourselves, and depend and trust in Him. If our pride pushes Him away and out of our lives, we are left to struggle alone. But if humility admits, “I can do these things only as God gives me strength,” then He will help.
Martin Luther wrote in one of his great hymns:
“... With might of ours can naught be done;
Soon were our loss effected.
But for us fights the Valiant One
Whom God Himself elected.”
When we learn that, in true humility, we will be ready to say “Not my will, but Thine.” Then we will turn away from the mirror and look toward God. Then we will be receptive and ready, knowing that help, strength and salvation comes from God only. Then our contrite hears will be open to His Word, and our prayer will be effective.
We must pray consistently. Paul goes so far as to advise the Thessalonians to “pray without ceasing.” Suppose a man owned a store, and said “I will open this store only when I feel like it.” An suppose that one day he opened his business for an hour, and another day not at all. Would his business prosper?
Apply that to prayer. I know the Lord says, “Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee.” But what about the other times? Is intermittent prayer enough?
We must learn to use prayer as consistently as possible. Pray every day, and several times each day. Don't give up too easily, but keep on praying. Live in such a way that prayer is always possible. All these things are implied in Paul's sage advice. But there is more than all this. Prayer is a life, not only a small part of life. It must flow naturally from us; as naturally as speech itself. Prayer does not always require formal postures, or formal words. It can be an attitude. When facing a new task, let us say to ourselves, “If God wants me to do this, I can do it.” That is a form of prayer, directing our thoughts toward God and His will for us.
Or we can use “arrow prayers” a hundred times each day. Arrow prayers are short sentences directed like arrows toward God.
“Dear God, let this message reach some heart that needs it.”
“ Grant me strength to do this job.”
“Keep my boy safe from harm.”
“Bless those whom I love.”
This kind of prayer is suitable and possible anywhere, at any time. It permits us to “Pray without ceasing.” In the early days of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, the members knelt and prayed in saloons, to the consternation of both barkeepers and customers. But they said , if it is not proper to pray in a saloon, then it is not proper for the saloon to exist. Certainly the theory is a good one. We should pray anywhere and everywhere, at all times.
Conscientious prayer is described by our Lord when He said, “I say unto you, whatsoever things ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them.” This is not a call to self-delusion, but to faith. It means that when we ask for gifts which we believe are in accordance with God's will, we must be willing to do all that lies within our power to make them come to us.
For example, if in illness, we pray to God and ask for health, and then refuse to take medicine or undergo treatment, as some do; and then to cap the climax repeat over and over to ourselves, “This sickness is unreal. I am well. I am well;” that is self-delusion. When we ask a gift of God, we must be willing to follow whatever course God indicates in order to receive it.
Here is a true story. A Pastor visited a woman of his congregation, and she told him of an ex-friend who she characterized as vicious and mean. Yet she said, “I pray and pray that we can really be friends again. But I certainly won't approach her first.” So the Pastor went to see the other woman. And she said, “Yes, I pray too that we can make up, for we were once good friends. But if she thinks that I am going to make the first move!”
What empty prayers those two women were saying. It was a typical example of prayer without understanding or scruple. But there is a happy ending to the story. The Pastor “accidentally” arranged a meeting in his study, with both women present. And how happy they were to be reconciled to each other. But in what other way could God have answered those prayers? When you pray, do all within your power to make your prayers come true, or else your prayers are empty.
In the Book of Jeremiah the Lord gives the rule for what I am calling “concentrated prayer.” He says “Ye shall seek me and find me when ye search for me with all your heart.” We can rarely do things with our whole hearts because of the multiple distractions of this world. The world is too much with us. Therefore Jesus said, in advising His disciples about prayer, “Shut the door.” Blot out the cries of the world, the calls of evil, the temptations to half-heartedness. Center your soul on God. When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, it was in such an agony of earnestness that the sweat which dropped from His brow was likened to blood. Luther often prayed so earnestly that he fainted. The same is said to have been true of Paul.
The danger of hypocrisy is always present and we must guard against it. How Jesus berated those religionists of His day who stood on the street corners and prayed in a loud voice, because they loved to be heard by men instead of by God. In secret we need not keep up any outward show. We can “let down our hair,” take off our pretenses, stop acting a part. Prayer must, above all, be honest.
Fifthly and finally, let me speak of conscious prayer. We must be aware: aware of God and aware of the consequences of our prayers, if they are answered in full. “Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you.”
There is no doubt and no hedging in these words of our Lord. Can it be true? Is it as good as all that? Jesus says so, and His teaching is very definite about it. God hears our prayers.
In that knowledge we find encouragement to pray. God really hears us. Many people write letters to the President, on all manner of subjects. Most of these letters are answered by some member of the White House secretarial staff. The President never sees the letter. He can't. He is too busy. But God is not subject to any such human limitation. God hears every earnest prayer.
That very fact ought to make us stop and take thought. If God hears, are we sure all our prayers are pleasing to Him? Suppose He granted all of our wishes. Would it hurt someone else? Would it be unfair to others? We must think of the result of our prayers, and what it might mean.
I shall always remember the Angel Gabriel in Marc Connelly's great play, “The Green Pastures.” Gabriel was always wanting to blow that horn of his, to end the world, because he was so disgusted with human strife, sin and waywardness. But De Lawd always said, “Not, yet, Gabe. Give them another chance.” Let us remember that God's ways are not man's ways; and let us be thankful for it!
Then let prayer be contrite, consistent, conscientious, concentrated and conscious. And remember, according to your faith, so shall it be unto you!
I bargained with Life for a penny,
And Life would pay me no more;
However, I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty score.
For Life is a just employer;
He gives you what you ask;
But once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.
I worked for a menial's hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have paid.
(Jessie B. Rittenhouse )