Do you struggle with prayer?
You aren’t
the first to struggle. The sign-up sheet for Prayer 101 contains some
familiar names: the apostles John, James, Andrew, and Peter. When one of
Jesus’ disciples requested, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1), none of the others objected. No one walked away saying, “Hey, I have prayer figured out.”
The first followers of Jesus needed prayer guidance. In fact, the only tutorial they ever requested was on prayer.
They
could have asked for instructions on many topics: bread
multiplying, speech making, storm stilling. Jesus raised people from the
dead. But a “How to Vacate the Cemetery” seminar? His followers never
called for one. But they did want Him to do this: “Lord, teach us to
pray.”
Might their interest have had something to do with the jaw-dropping, eye-popping promises Jesus attached to prayer?
Ask and it will be given to you. – Matthew 7:7
If you believe, you will get anything you ask for in prayer. – Matthew 21:22
Jesus
never attached such power to other endeavors. “Plan and it will be
given to you.” “You will get anything you work for.” Those words are not
in the Bible. But these are –
If you remain in Me and follow My teachings, you can ask anything you want, and it will be given to you. – John 15:7
Jesus gave stunning prayer promises. And He set a compelling prayer example.
Jesus prayed
before he ate. He prayed for children. He prayed for the sick. He
prayed with thanks. He prayed with tears. He had made the planets and
shaped the stars, yet He prayed. He is the Lord of angels and
Commander of heavenly hosts, yet He prayed. He is coequal with God, the
exact representation of the Holy One, and yet He devoted himself to
prayer. He prayed in the desert, cemetery, and garden.
He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. – Mark 1:35
This dialogue must have been common among His friends:
“Has anyone seen Jesus?”
“Oh, you know. He’s up to the same thing.”
“Praying again?
“Yep. He’s been gone since sunrise.”
Jesus
would even disappear for an entire night of prayer. I’m thinking of one
occasion in particular. He’d just experienced one of the most stressful
days of His ministry. The day began with the news of the death of His
relative John the Baptist. Jesus sought to retreat with His disciples,
yet a throng of thousands followed Him.
Though
grief-stricken, He spent the day teaching and healing people. When it
was discovered that the host of people had no food to eat, Jesus
multiplied bread out of a basket and fed the entire multitude. In the
span of a few hours, He battled sorrow, stress, demands, and needs.
He deserved a good night’s rest. Yet when evening finally came, He told
the crowd to leave and the disciples to board their boat, and
He went up into the hills by Himself to pray. – Mark 6:46
Apparently it was the correct choice. A storm exploded over the Sea of Galilee, leaving the disciples
…in
trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were
fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came
toward them, walking on the water. – Matthew 14:24-25
Jesus
ascended the mountain depleted. He reappeared invigorated. When He
reached the water, He never broke His stride. You’d have thought the
water was a park lawn and the storm a spring breeze.
Do
you think the disciples made the prayer–power connection? “Lord, teach
us to pray like that. Teach us to find strength in prayer. To banish
fear in prayer. To defy storms in prayer. To come off the mountain
of prayer with the authority of a prince.”
What about
you? The disciples faced angry waves and a watery grave. You face angry
clients, a turbulent economy, raging seas of stress and sorrow.
“Lord,” we still request, “teach us to pray.”
When
the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He gave them a prayer.
Not a lecture on prayer. Not the doctrine of prayer. He gave them a
quotable, repeatable, portable prayer (Luke 11:1-4).
Could
you use the same? It seems to me that the prayers of the Bible can be
distilled into one. The result is a simple, easy-to-remember,
pocket-size prayer:
Father, You are good.
I need help. Heal me and forgive me.
They need help.
Thank you.
In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Let this prayer punctuate your day. As you begin your morning, Father, you are good. As you commute to work or walk the hallways at school, I need help. As you wait in the grocery line, They need help.
Keep this prayer in your pocket as you pass through the day.
Prayer,
for most of us, is not a matter of a month-long retreat or even an
hour of meditation. Prayer is conversation with God while driving to
work or awaiting an appointment or before interacting with a
client. Prayer can be the internal voice that directs the
external action.
This much is sure: God will teach you to pray.
Watch the Before Amen Video
Excerpted with permission from Before Amen: The Power of a Simple Prayer by Max Lucado, copyright Thomas Nelson, 2014.
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