by David Falk | Download PDF | Purchase Hardcopy

The believers in the early church were of one mind and continually devoted themselves to prayer. Acts 1:14. The apostle Paul told the Philippians that he was ‘always offering prayer’. Phil 1:4. He likewise exhorted them to ‘be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.’ Phil 4:6. Paul’s faith was clear. ‘My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory’. Phil 4:19. Prayer connects us with a God who does everything abundantly. As Paul encouraged the Ephesians, He ‘is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think’. Eph 3:19, 20.

Indeed, the love of Christ surpasses knowledge. When we bring our requests to God in prayer, He might bless us abundantly. Or He might answer our prayer in a different way. He may provide abundant trials which are far beyond our expectation. However, God is still answering our prayer! 

Prayer is not simply a mechanism to get God to do what we want. Rather, we are joining ourselves to the God who sees all; to the fullness of His knowledge. Obviously, our minds do not presently have the capacity to encompass the whole will of God. But there will be a day when we will know as we are known and we will know in full. 1 Cor 13:12. When we pray, we are not just tapping into God’s ideas. His knowledge includes an over-arching will and purpose for our lives. As we learn to pray from the youngest years, He will bring us into His will for us. John said, ‘This is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us’. 1 John 5:14. If we are not sure what the will of God is, we need to be devoted to prayer.

We draw great consolation from the knowledge that Jesus Christ, who is raised and seated at the right hand of the Father, is continually making intercession for us. Rom 8:34. And He makes intercession for you and me concurrently. In fact, Jesus is interceding for all men everywhere. He does not desire that any man should perish, but that all men should come to everlasting life. 2 Pet 3:9. We need to join the heart of God through prayer. And we should encourage our little ones from the youngest years to pray, for God hears them. Jesus encouraged all the children to come to Him. Matt 19:14. I believe in the faith of a child. It's not a question of cognitive or intellectual development. Our prayers do not become more sophisticated as we get older and therefore more effective. Teenagers must also learn to pray. But we don’t expect that He will always give us the things that we seek. If we don't ask correctly, He will not answer our prayer in the way that we ask. Why would God, who is love, give us something that will harm us?

Prayer is an end in itself. In the Scriptures, prayer is likened to the sweet aroma of incense rising before Him. The Lord loves to receive our prayers. Many people question how God can answer the prayers of multiple millions and billions of people at once. As I considered this, I marvelled at the increase in computer technology over recent years. I remembered a time when a computer’s RAM or memory was measured in kilobytes not gigabytes! Since then I’ve watched with amazement how this capacity has increased. At times, I may have six or seven programs open on my computer and all are doing different things. If a computer is able to perform multiple functions simultaneously, why would we doubt the ability of a God who sees all and knows all? Of course we believe that He answers the prayers of all people.

King David instructed his son Solomon to ‘know the God of your father and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind for the Lord searches all hearts’. 1 Chron 28:9. When we are praying and seeking the Lord, we must remember that He is searching our heart. He is searching our heart even when we’re not doing well; when we're struggling; when our attitude is not good; when our heart is not at peace. He understands all the intent of our thoughts.  Prayer will make the intent of our thoughts pure. We can't continue to pray with an angry heart or an impure heart. We can't pray with hatred in our hearts. When we begin to pray, the Lord will search us. He will plumb the depths of our inward parts.    

We don't know at what age Solomon became the king in Israel. Statistics say that one in twelve children will break away from the things that they have been raised in. King David encouraged Solomon to know his God. As fathers, we must talk to our children about the Lord. In the book of Deuteronomy, fathers were instructed to diligently teach the ways of the Lord to their children. ‘You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.’ Deut 6:6-9. There is no need to force Scripture down our children’s necks! We just need to talk about the Lord and teach our children to pray. Children, as you pray, ask Jesus to be with you. Ask Him to keep you safe, to lead you and teach you about Himself.

The apostle Paul recognised that we presently ‘see in the mirror dimly’. 1 Cor 13:12.  Another translation says, 'We see in a glass darkly'. At times, it feels like we are looking through a very thick fog! The Scripture says that sometimes ‘the heavens over your head will become bronze’. Deut 28:23. Jeremiah complained that the face of His throne was covered with a cloud and no prayer passed through it. Lam 3:44. Sometimes, we feel God is not there. We all need to learn to endure these difficult times for they will pass. There are definitely seasons in our lives when we find the Lord more readily. We find Him in seasons of adversity and trouble because we give Him our full attention. Paul understood this principle and desired to know the Lord in times of suffering. He said, ‘That I might know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death’. Phil 3:10.

In the book of Psalms, David encouraged us to pray to the Lord in a time when He may be found. Psa 32:6. The prophet Isaiah said, ‘Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near’. Isa 55:6. He is near in our times of trouble and questioning; when there is financial difficulty, family pressure or health dilemmas. Many of our afflictions are common to man but they will sift and test our hearts to find out what kind of people we are. Paul said, ‘Now we see in the mirror dimly but then face-to-face. Now I know in part. Then I shall know just as I am known’. 1 Cor 13:12. This process takes place in prayer. We will be convinced when God answers our prayer. Maybe we have become stuck on a point. We may have goals, ambitions and aspirations which are contrary to His will for our lives. Give up and pray.

If we seek the Lord in a time of trouble, He will allow us to find Him. We need to seek Him diligently. Jeremiah prophesied the words of Jesus, ‘When you seek for Me with all your heart you will find Me’. Jer 29:13. If you seek Him, He will be found by you. Of course, God has already found you. He has searched for you and knows the thoughts and intents of your heart. But, we must seek Him. The Christian faith is about being convinced; not intellectually convinced by many arguments, but convinced by the brooding of the Holy Spirit who comes upon us. At eleven or twelve years of age, I remember my grandmother sitting with me and praying for me. I was not a Christian between the ages of twelve and seventeen. In those years I refused to pray. But when I gave up and prayed, the Lord met me. I believe in the faith of praying grandmothers. And I believe in the effect of devotion to prayer. 

Author: David Falk | Toowoomba Christian Fellowship TCF
Published by Vision One at Toowoomba Christian Fellowship TCF
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