In his book “Stories for the Journey,” William White tells of a European seminary professor and his wife, Hans and Enid. During WW2 they escaped to America, where Hans began teaching in a seminary. Students loved this Bible teacher and they enjoyed observing the tender love that Hans and Enid displayed as the couple often walked hand in hand around campus.
Enid’s unexpected death sends Hans into a pit of sorrow. The seminary president and three other friends began visiting Hans, but he remained lonely and depressed.
“I am no longer able to pray to God,” Hans confided to them, “In fact, I am not certain I believe in God anymore.” After an awkward moment of silence, the seminary president responded, “Then we will believe for you. We will pray for you.”
In the following weeks the four men met daily to pray with Hans, asking God to help Hans experience God’s presence and healing. Months later, as the four men gathered again in Hans’s living room, Hans greeted them with a smile.
“It is no longer necessary for you to pray for me,” he said. “Instead, I would like you to pray with me.
Do you have struggles with prayer? How can we overcome and have a prayer life that is pleasing to our Lord?
Luke 18:1: “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” Philippians 4:6: “But in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
When we get to heaven, I think we will all ask ourselves, “Why didn’t we pray more? Why didn’t we seek Him more diligently? Why did we let other things crowd out prayer?”
I’m not talking about a one-minute prayer, a quick prayer at bedtime or a prayer before we see the doctor or take a test. I’m talking about an intentional time set aside for an extended time of prayer. I’m talking about taking our requests unto God in fervent communication with our heavenly Father.
If you want to have a prayer life that is pleasing to God and has a profound effect on your life, I have one word for you: persistence! You must simply keep at it and not give up.
Let your requests be known to God. God always answers our requests with no, yes and later. But He always answers. So if we know He will hear us, why is it so easy for us to give up on prayer? It is certainly not God for He wants us to come to Him. So it must be us.
Our greatest struggles in life are with the very things that benefit us the most. How many of us struggle to lose weight or to quit some bad habit? It’s hard to do those things that are good for us. The easiest and most natural thing we can do in life is pray, but it is the most difficult thing to actually do. Why? The devil doesn’t want you to pray. The hordes of hells don’t want you to pray. They will throw everything they can throw at you to stop you from praying. Because the devil knows that once you begin a consistent prayer life you are going to greatly affect his work in this world. It has been said that the devil mocks at our work, laughs at our wisdom but trembles when we pray.
Think about it. They can take your job, your health and your home. They can take your Bible, church and family, but they can’t take your prayer life. Only you can stop yourself from praying.
Do not ever give up on prayer. 1 Corinthians 1:29: “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.:
Listen to Pastor Jack’s sermons every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. on 98.9 WSIP FM. He is also on most podcast and video platforms. Check out the Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church Facebook page and our website tomahawkmbc.com.