What is Prayer?

VIEW:414 DATA:2020-03-20

Every sacrifice offered was in reality a prayer to God for help. As in the case of the sin and transgression offering, it could be a request for forgiveness. Or it would be a prayer of thanksgiving and praise, as in the peaceful offering. It could also be consecrated, as in the offer of delicacies. Perhaps it was thanksgiving for a special deliverance or for something very desired, as in the case of an offer by vote, or voluntary. Or perhaps God would have healed the person from illness, or a lady would have been happy when a child was born, or if she had worked any great deliverance. All such occasions required special thanksgiving and praise, and an adequate offering.

In its highest sense, to pray is to entertain fellowship. This should be emphasized, because for many Christians, prayer is merely a means of obtaining something from God. They miss you in certain respects. What means is easier than asking God for what we need? Did He not promise to supply what we lack? As a result of this way of thinking, many prayers consist mostly of requests, some of good things, some not so much, some positively harmful, others of impossible satisfaction. For such people, God is the great source of supply, the great giver, and the inexhaustible source of gifts. All you have to do is ask, and He will take care of the rest. They evaluate their Christianity by the prayers answered, and do not find them effective when the petition is denied. Their prayers mostly take the form of a petition. They are continually asking for something, and believe that God does, or should. Like the prodigal son, they pray: "Father, give it to me". Luke 15:12.

Undeniably the prayers in the form of a request are legitimate. We will always need to ask God for the things we desire.

 

It should be noted, however, that petition prayers should not become the predominant form. Those of praise, thanksgiving and worship should always have the predominance. Submission to the will of God, complete dedication to Him, and entire consecration, should indicate the convenient way in prayers. When they move from an effort to get the Lord to do what we want to an intense desire to see what God wants, they will no longer be mere requests for things, and requests for Him to respond immediately to our supplications in the just way that we desire. .

Indeed, it would be better for most of us to stop asking altogether for some time, devoting all effort to what God wants us to have or be. Discovering it, we found ourselves on solid ground. Then we can ask the Lord confident that His will will be done. The big problem before us is to discover the will of God, and then examine our own hearts to make sure that we really want to make His will our own.

Someone said that prayers are an effort on the part of the applicant to change the Lord's mind. Many are making no effort to see what He wants, yet they are quite sure what they want themselves . In fact, his prayer is: "May Your will be changed", not: "Be doneThy will. "They are struggling with God. They are dying in prayer. They ask the Lord for what they think should be done. It does not occur to them that the first thing to find out is: Will God really want me to have this that I so desire? my dear? is this the will of God? Is the time to come to pass? Is there not anything I must do before? Am I willing to submit everything to God, so that if you do not give me what I desire, you will be satisfied and give thanks to him for what he gives me, or am I more intent on getting what I want than on knowing what His will is?

It is worth mentioning some things that prayer is not . It is not a substitute for work. The Christian who is faced with a difficult problem to solve, has the right to ask God for help and wait for him to answer. This, however, does not exempt him from arduous and tiring work.

 

God will invigorate the intellect, strengthen the mind; but he will not accept prayer as a substitute for mental effort, nor will he give those who are simply negligent. Those who have the mental capacity, to learn the multiplication table and have the opportunity to do so, should not shy away from the necessary effort, trusting that, through prayer, God will do for them what will make any mental effort unnecessary. In most cases, work and prayer go together. Neither is sufficient in itself.

The purpose of prayer is not just to get God to do what we want. Some apply worldly methods and have worldly philosophy in their prayers. They learned that, as far as the world is concerned, whoever wants to achieve something "goes in search of it", and so they take it for granted that, in order to achieve something from the Lord, they have to seek it. They act as if God is unwilling to grant petitions without a lot of flattery, and seem to believe that through persistence and adulation, they can take from God what they would not otherwise grant them. They take the pestering widow as an example, seeming not to understand that this parable is given to show that He is not like that judge. No one can get what He wants from the Lord just by continually harassing Him. it is necessary to emphasize that He does not resemble the unjust judge. is a father, more willing to give good gifts to His children than to receive them. To flatter, flatter, caress, bore, pester, mere persistence, do not profit anything with God.

However, the idea should not prevail that there is no such thing as fighting in prayer, and that we only need to mention to God once and for all what we want, and the answer comes immediately. Prayer is by no means so simple. No, it is important to worry and prevail in prayer, to go to the bottom of things and not to settle down until the same things and lives have changed. Jesus prayed all nights; Jacob fought with the angel; Daniel sought the Lord with prayers and fasts; Paul sought and sought again the Lord. We don't need less prayers, more. And we need to learn to do it with faith. There is perhaps the vital point.

 

Prayer is not a monologue. It will be an audible or a silent desire of the soul. In either case, the ideal prayer is communion. Some pray at length, informing God of things of which He is already aware. Calling you to many things that need repair. They seem to think that the Lord is at risk of forgetting others that need to be asked, and their prayers seem to be designed to remind God what He must do. Having called attention to the needs of the world, as they see them themselves, they feel that they have done their duty. "They said their prayers" and informed God of their own needs and those of others and, with an "Amen", ended their "conversation". It was simply a monologue. They expect the Lord to use judiciously the information they have given Him,

It can be conceived that the true Christian is always talking to the Lord, and He has no message for him / It must be painful for God to be excluded even when he is ready to communicate with us. It seems that if this happens several times, it will come to the conclusion that we are not very anxious to entertain communion with Him. We simply "say" our prayers, and when we finish, we move away. It can be conceived that the true Christian is always talking to the Lord, and He has no message for him / It must be painful for God to be excluded even when he is ready to communicate with us. It seems that if this happens several times, it will come to the conclusion that we are not very anxious to entertain communion with Him. We simply "say" our prayers, and when we finish, we move away.

 

There is no doubt that such prayers cannot be all that the Lord means by "fellowship".

Let us stress "prayer is communion. It is more than a conversation; it is intimate companionship. It is an exchange of views and ideas. It presupposes a friendly understanding and trust. It does not always need to be accompanied by words. Silence can be more eloquent than torrents of oratory… is another kind of friendship based on calm confidence and certainty, unaccompanied by spectacular demonstrations and raptures.

Meditation is a vital element of prayer. It could perhaps be said that it is your best part. However, it is too neglected. We present ourselves before God, make our petitions to Him and leave. Next time, we'll do the same. We keep the Lord informed about our condition, we tell Him certain things that require attention and, having thus relieved the soul, we ended the interview. This is repeated day after day; however, it cannot be said to be a satisfactory experience. Isn't there anything better? There will certainly be ...

The psalms, especially those of David, express the depths of Christian feeling. David went through some of these experiences that tear the soul apart. He once fled to the desert, because of Saul. There he wrote Psalm sixty-three. it is the cry of a soul that yearns to God, a deeper knowledge of Him, a more perfect relationship with Him, especially in prayer. David was evidently not satisfied with his way of praying. God seemed distant. I didn't answer. The psalmist seemed to experience the feeling of not addressing anyone, in an empty room. However, I longed for God. Her soul was thirsty for the living God. Wouldn't there be a way to put yourself in true communion with Him?

David then found the way. He was satisfied. He learned the real meaning and method of praying. He expresses it in verses 5 and 6 of the aforementioned psalm: "My soul will be satisfied, as with marrow and fat; and my mouth will praise You with joyful lips, when I remember You in my bed, and meditate on You in the night watches ".

 

Note the words: "My soul will be satisfied ... when I remember You in my bed, and meditate on You". David prayed before. Then, when praying, he added meditation, and says that in doing so, his "soul will be satisfied". For him it was like "marrow and fat", and he praises God "with happy lips". After all, your soul is satisfied.

This account is of great value. Many souls, like David, cry out for the living God. They are not satisfied. They believe that there must be something better than what they experience. Pray, and pray, and pray, and yet the Lord still seems distant. It does not manifest. Once, from time to time, a glimpse of Him flows, and soon eludes them. Is there anything better reserved, or is this all that Christianity and prayer offer them? There must be something better. And David found him.

"My soul will be satisfied". How wonderful, to satisfy the hunger of the soul! And this possibility can become a reality! David points the way by saying that we can obtain it, remembering God and meditating. Most Christians remember God. Pray. One can actually say, and rightly so, that it is impossible to be a child of God and not pray. Not many, however, are experienced in the art of meditation. Pray, but do not meditate. And one thing is just as important as the other. It was when David added meditation to prayer, that he was finally able to say that his soul was satisfied. Perhaps we have the same experience.

Few Christians meditate. They are too busy. Their occupations demand too much of them. They run into one another, and they have little time to counsel with themselves or with God. There is so much to do! Unless they strain each nerve and engage in each moment, they are sure that souls will be lost. There is no time to sit at the Master's feet while the world is perishing. They need to be engaged and active. Activity is its motto. In fact, they are sincere and conscientious.

Still, how much is lost, for themselves and for the world, for lack of meditation! No soul can rush to the presence of God and withdraw from it, and hope to entertain fellowship with Him. The peace that surpasses all understanding, does not dwell in a restless heart. "Time to be holy you must take", is more than a mere feeling.

 

It takes time to communicate with God, to be holy. "Be disturbed and do not sin: speak with your heart on your bed and be silent". Psalm 4: 4. The last statement requires special emphasis. "Shut up". We are very uneasy. We need to learn stillness towards God. We need to shut up.

"Wait silent in God only, O my soul". Psalm 62: 5 (Trad. Bras.). May these words penetrate deeply into each consciousness. "My soul". This is addressed to every Christian. "Wait silently only on God". It involves an order and also a promise. Silent waiting. Wait silently on God. Wait (you) silent in God. Wait silently in God alone. And he who waits silently in God alone, at His invitation, will not be disappointed. You will be satisfied.

What an admirable invitation does this statement end! You prayed, you poured your soul out before Him who alone is able to understand. Don't say "Amen" and leave. It gives God an opportunity. Wait for Him. Wait in silence. Expect Him only to Him. And in the silence of the soul perhaps God will speak. He invited you to wait. May your whole soul attend to Him. Wait on Him alone. Perhaps the Lord, through the small and delicate little voice, will manifest itself. Wait silently in God.

For some Christians, this is not a new doctrine. They know what it is to commune with God. You have spent precious periods alone with Him. You have learned to wait in silence. And precious were the revelations made to them.

For others, however, this may be a new thing. They learned to pray, but they did not learn to wait silently on God. Meditation, as part of prayer, has not been of importance to them. His conception of prayer is in a way words reverently addressed to the Father in heaven. With his "Amen", communion ends. And so it may be in the truth, although the Lord does not intend to do so. The "Amen" will mean the end of the man's words, but not the conclusion of the interview. God invites us to wait in silence. Maybe you want to talk, maybe you don't. In any case, we must wait. And while we wait, it is possible that He thinks it is appropriate to immediately bring conviction to our spirit.

 

Many are inclined to talk too much. We have all sorts of experiences with people who are openly looking for advice, but who, in fact, only see their points of view. They seem anxious for the interview, and meanwhile barely offer an opportunity for any advice, since they occupy themselves all the time, and seem satisfied when they finish presenting the case. When any assent is shown to their way of seeing, they are happy. There is a clear impression that they did not seek advice, but to communicate.

The same is often true of prayer. The most important part is not talking to God, but before He speaks to us. it is true that the Lord likes us to pray. Our prayers sound like music to you. We don't tire you. Still, wouldn't it be good for us to give the Lord an opportunity to communicate with us? Wouldn't it be convenient to listen? Wouldn't it be better for us to do exactly what we are told: to wait in silence only in God? Okay, He won't let us wait in vain. Who has not experienced the tremendous power of the few moments of silence after blessing? Who has not felt the presence of God in the stillness of the sanctuary? It would be good for us to explore the power of the domain of silence. God is there.

There is always a danger of falling to extremes. There are people who reject or despise the instructions given in the Bible, and depend solely on impressions. Such people are at great risk. We believe that the Lord will guide those who are willing to be guided, but we also believe that this guide will always be in harmony with God's revealed will, in no way contradicting the written word. Wonderful as the privilege of communicating with God, as well as that of meditation, there is a danger of misusing them. Christian youth especially must be on guard. Only the long experience in the things above, cemented by a life of obedience to the Lord's will, enables a person to discern the processes of the mind. Satan is always around to suggest his own thoughts, and spiritual insight is needed to recognize,

 

This should not, however, cause even new Christians to omit meditation. Far from it. God is always there to guide and guide, and we can believe that the silent hour spent with Him will produce far-reaching results for the kingdom. We are just giving a warning to those who are inclined to follow the voice that speaks to the soul, neglecting the one that speaks through the Word.

In the former sanctuary, sacrifice and prayer were joined. The sacrifice represented sadness for sin, repentance, confession, reparation. When the lamb was placed on the altar, in figure, it was the repentant sinner who put himself on it with everything he had. This meant his acceptance of the righteousness of the law that demanded life, symbolized his consecration to God. Without that attitude, the sacrifice of a lamb was a mockery. In the same way, our prayers may be mere derision, unless they depart from a sincere heart, which abstains from sin, and consecrates itself entirely to God. Prayer must be based on sincerity. It must be based on repentance and godly sorrow for sin. These are evidenced by the confession and to restore or repair it. Such a prayer will not remain unanswered. God is true to His word.