About Prayer - Derek Prime

From Practical Prayer by Derek Prime ~~



Understandable...yet a mystery....

Earlier we likened prayer to the human pulse. It is a necessity: Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and prayer naturally expresses faith...it is faith's breath. Writing of Jerusalem's spiritual failure, the prophet Zephaniah declared, She does not trust in the LORD, she does not draw near to her God (Zephaniah 3:2). Trusting in the Lord and drawing near to Him are one and the same.

We will not know all the answers to our questions about prayer until the time arrives when prayer will no longer be necessary! There is an essential mystery about it.

It seems plain from history, however, that when God is about to work in some particular way He frequently lays a burden upon His people to pray for that very thing. Somehow or another, prayer is a necessary part of God's chosen way of doing things.

We cannot overestimate the privilege of prayer. If we had unlimited access to our head of State, we would be regarded not only as fortunate but as influential, particularly if we had the ear of the person. How tremendous is our privilege of having access to the King of kings, and to 'have His ear'!

The influence of prayer in the affairs of men and women worldwide is nothing less than the power of God.

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The Bible itself is our best guide as to the things for which we should ask.

First, it tells us the things that are good and pleasing to God.

Second, it is full of prayers of others which are examples and patterns to follow. The Lord's prayer is an obvious example. The book of Psalms teems with prayers, and Paul's letters are liberally sprinkled with them.

And, third, the Bible reveals God's Name, God's character. The test of much of our asking is the answer to the question, 'Is this request in accord with God's character?'