What keeps you from praying? As I have looked inwardly for my own answers to this question, I’ve discovered many reasons – laziness, apathy, selfishness, ingratitude, and indifference, just to name a few. Yet the major overall cause seems to be that I have a poor misunderstanding of both the privilege and responsibility of prayer.
I remember helping with one of our son’s baseball teams for a couple summers. I was the fourth coach – the bench coach, also known as the “cry coach.” If a kid struck out looking and came to the bench in tears, it was my job to tell him it was gonna be “okay.” If the “bad cop” head coach got on to one of the youngsters, I got to help cheer him up. My duties also included big tasks like keeping everyone in the right batting order – “Hey Johnny, you hit after Billy.” It wasn’t that this was too difficult for me, but I felt like I should be doing more.
I grew up on a baseball field. My first and last childhood homes were both within the shadows of a baseball field’s light poles. My dad was a coach and baseball was just part of our life. I hung out in dugouts, learned to do homework in the bleachers, and could find ways to sleep on any old bumpy yellow school bus. I was throwing and hitting a baseball from as early as I can remember. I grew up truly loving the game. I was allowed to play every summer and became decent enough to extend my playing career through college.
And since my dad specifically told me to not go into coaching, that’s exactly what I did. I graduated and became a teacher and coach just like him. I had been head coach of a high school program for several years before entering ministry at a full-time capacity. My teams were never world-beaters but we won consistently and were usually considered a competitive, respectable club. I say all of this only to help you understand how it felt to simply be a bench coach. Not the head coach, not the first base coach or the pitching coach, but the, “Too bad you have a trampoline in your mitt, you’ll catch the next one!” coach?
I thought I could do more – should do more; the job felt a bit beneath me; the task was too menial; the role was too simple. And the more I think about it, this precisely describes my attitude toward prayer (at times). “God, is that all you have for me to do? Surely there is something more I could help You with. Perhaps I could preach the gospel to thousands for You… Maybe You need someone to lead that next mission trip or service project?” Often I approach prayer as though it is the duty of the fourth coach; this prayer stuff is for the junior varsity believers, not me. I act as though it is somehow below my skill set (though I’d never actually voice it this way to anyone) or just really not all that important.
Well, it is hard to admit, but sometimes that’s me… and it’s a shame. To see prayer in such false light is a grievous error! Truth is this: prayer is foundational to the faith. As it is with the gospel, so it is with prayer; Christ-followers never move beyond prayer, only more deeply into it. In fact, a redeemed soul should see the blessed privilege it is to have direct access to the Father. For such communion is indeed the Spirit’s means for sustaining the saints.
Prayer is instrumental to the faith – a blessed honor for all who believe. A cursory view of Paul’s letters to the churches makes it clear, that it is not only a prized privilege, but also a responsibility of the righteous. As we briefly examine the following passages and verses (only a handful from one NT writer), let’s consider whether prayer seems an invitation or a command? Is it an extra credit option or an expectation?
Here are just a few…
Romans 12:12 – “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
Philippians 4:6 – “ ...do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
1st Thessalonians 5:17 – “…pray without ceasing.”
Colossians 4:2 – “Continue steadfastly in prayer…” There is an understanding that prayer is already happening (compare this to Jesus’ “when you pray” statements in Matthew 6:5-13). Paul says to continue steadfastly. “…being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” He goes on in the following two verses to ask for prayer that he might clearly and powerfully proclaim the gospel (see Colossians 4:3-4).
Notice the role of prayer in the ‘Whole Armor of God’ passage…
Ephesians 6:14-20 – “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”
One more…
2nd Corinthians 1:10-11 – Paul describes how the Lord had brought him through multiple trials up to that point. “He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that He will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.”
We have barely even scratched the surface of what Paul says concerning prayer, much less Jesus, the other Apostles, or any of the Old Testament. Yet from what we have read above, it is pretty clear. Prayer is to be the heartbeat of the Church; it is the lifeblood of those identified as being in Christ. The gospel moves forward through the prayerful persistence of God’s elect. As men and women work to advance the good news to those who have never heard the sweet name of Jesus, they do so in the Spirit’s power, faithfully bathed in the prayers of the saints.
Since taking on my new role as our “missions” pastor, I’ve had plenty of conversations with people about how they can get involved globally. We talk about going and sending, welcoming and mobilizing. “Well, are you prayerfully involved?” I ask. “Are you praying for the unreached? Are you asking for God to send people out from our midst, to be launched to the nations? Are you lifting up prayers for the missionaries currently ministering in some of the hardest to reach and most remote places on the planet? Are you praying for their endurance as they are weekly hit with various forms of persecution?” Many reply like I so often do… “No, I’m not.”
Prayer is more than a privilege. It is a responsibility, and a blessed one at that. May we remember our Savior’s great sacrifice - that through His cross, the veil was torn - meaning we have access to the Father so that we can approach His throne in full confidence. How amazing! Yet may we also be reminded of the many that wonder about completely unaware of this hope. Will we only enjoy this gift for ourselves, giving God our Christmas list of wants or will we obediently petition our Lord for the sake of others - for the sake of His glory among all peoples? Will we pray for this lost and dying world? Will we lift up our fellow brothers and sisters in the faith? Will we pray for our country? Our community? How about our friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors? Will we share in God’s heart for the nations? Will we ask Him to transform us inwardly that we might begin to think and serve more outwardly? I pray that we will, and that we’d do so today.
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| Matt Fowler Associate Pastor of Missions & Students matt@nbchurch.info @fattmowler |
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