| We
live in an affluent age, when in the abundance of things possessed,
many overlook their need of the Lord God and take for granted
the material blessings of life. Thus Worship tends to become
cold and distant; and Prayer a mere, mechanical repetition of
words without power, instead of the fervent outpouring of the
heart unto God.
It
is not an age of Prayer.
What a contrast to the attitude shown by faithful men of old.
Experiencing want, pressurised by persecution, they found
help in prayer. It was a source of comfort in trouble, communion
in loneliness, uplift in depression.
And
it was powerful. It has been assessed that out of over six
hundred prayers for specific things recorded in the Bible,
no less than four hundred and fifty revealed answers are recorded.
In fact, every Prayer is answered; though not always in the
way we desire.
Prayer
should not be indulged in lightly. Thought and care should
be taken in our approach to the Father. The disciples recognised
this when they approached Christ with their request: "Teach
us how to pray." They felt the inadequacy of their prayers
and desired to make them powerful. If we feel that our prayers
are inadequate or ineffectual, and desire to make them more
powerful, we must seek the means of doing so from the instruction
of the Word. All the principles that go to make Prayer powerful
are set forth and reiterated in Scripture. They are there
for our seeking.
We
have gathered some of these principles together in this little
book. Their effectiveness, however, will only become evident
if we carefully meditate upon them, making them a matter of
private study and application. If we incorporate these principles
in our private and public devotions to the Father, we will
be brought into closer communion with Him as a result.
When
we open the Word of God, God speaks to us; when we engage
in Prayer, we speak to Him. The person who studies all the
time, but never prays is like those dull companions who are
always ready to listen, but never contribute anything to the
conversation. There is nothing stimulating in such company.
On the other hand, the person who is always praying, but never
studying, is like those garrulous people who dominate all
conversation, and are never ready to listen to what others
might like to say. Such conversationalists soon bore us! The
ideal companion is one who is prepared both to listen and
to talk, to interchange thoughts and conversation. His presence
gives us pleasure, and we delight to converse with Him. He
is like the person who both studies and prays. He listens
to the Lord and also communicates with Him.
All
study and no prayer can fill us up; all prayer and no study
can puff us up; but continual study blended with prayer will
build us up.
The
Power of the Word, blended with the Power of Prayer, can transform
our preaching, our worship, ourselves.
H.
P. Mansfield
November, 1974
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