The Reality Of Prayer
THE REALITY OF PRAYER
ROMANS 8:26-27
Paul writes about the vital resource and refuge of prayer.
Prayer is the life-blood of faith. Jesus prayed, sometimes through the night in times of spiritual crisis, and no one can be truly Christian who does not, by the instinctive uplifting of the heart, seek God’s help in times of stress, difficulty and temptation.
But, in the light of these verses, let two deep truths be realized. First, if the Spirit lives in the Christian, and that has been this chapter’s insistent theme, then God’s mind mingles with ours in our prayers. Secondly, note that, clear and coherent, and specific as we should be in our prayers, we cannot, being ignorant of the future, know precisely what we should properly pray. God answers prayer, and that is the experience of all Christians, not always in accordance with our garbled requests, but in ways that are infinitely more subtle, more rewarding and wise. Sometimes, in times of stress, failure and strife, there is nothing else to do but submit in surrender, commit whatever it is, or whatever has happened, to the eternal wisdom and love, and to leave God himself to phrase petitions that we could only phrase if we knew all, and could foresee all.
God by his Spirit lives in us; our prayer not only expresses our relationship with our heavenly Father but also releases faith that has been born by his presence in our hearts. We can humbly yet confidently know he listens because we know the lifting of our hearts can only happen as a result of God’s prompting.
Meditation “I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day.” (Abraham Lincoln)