PERSONAL - “But I give myself unto Prayer” Psalm 109:4
CORPORATE - “My house shall be called a House of Prayer” Luke 19:46
THE COMMAND - “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint” Luke 18:1
“Pray without ceasing” I Thessalonians 5:17
Here are 4 verses given for specific instructions to the Christian and the church. One command is enough for us in the Scriptures. But four commands should make us that much more sensitive to what the Lord is speaking to us. The work of prayer is found from the beginning to end in the Bible. We see from the very beginning of Genesis 1:2, ‘that the Spirit moved upon the face of the waters.’ James Stewart preached that great sermon on this and defined that the Spirit was ‘brooding’ upon the deep. And asked the question what HE was doing while there? The answer was that He was praying for the sons of men that were getting ready to come into existence. And at the very close of Revelation, John prays, ‘Even so come, Lord Jesus’ - a personal prayer, as well as, corporate for the church today. Found from the beginning of the Holy Spirit praying to the end where the church is praying, there are scores of other prayers offered and fulfilled in the Word of God.
It is my distress that prayer is being navigated away from in our labors today. We are moving in a dangerous directive that needs to be addressed before we become as others that are guilty of ‘vain repetitions’. Therefore, I am asking you to consider these words and directives and act upon them in a direct way as unto the Lord. In each of these 4 verses in opening we are directed to give place to the time, means, and hope of prayer. Yet today the sad confession is offered by numerous scores of pastors, leaders, churches, families and individuals that they ‘do not pray’. They will quickly confess, “I know I should pray. I want to pray. I need to pray. But I don’t pray.’
In beginning, we must look at the first verse given, Psalm 109:4. The personal testimony of any saint, that is a saint, is ‘That I give myself unto prayer.’ I do not rely on someone else. I do not hope alone in the church praying for me. But I take full responsibility and lay hold on the horns of the altar and offer my own ‘sweet savor’ unto Him, my Lord and my God. Now what say you about your own labor of prayer? Do you pray? How often do you pray? How deep do you pray? It will be revealed at the end, but for now enough people have given testimony that they pray sporadically, unfaithfully, and irreverently. They offer prayers haphazardly, in generalities and laced with a covering of the sin of unbelief. Asking, but never expecting to see fulfillment. I am wondering if the urgency for prayer is being abandoned because you, as leaders, do not pray as you should. I do not throw this as a charge, but simply for us to answer why are allowing the clear mandate of prayer to be lost and given up. Why would we ever think that we could be holy and do holy work of redemption and missions without the power of God that comes through prevailing prayer? To the heart that is tender, they will reply, ‘May it never be so said of us.’ To the heart that is guilty, they will seek to defend and excuse the present conditions. Let us speak honestly in this. Why are we allowing for Satan to gain a foot hold in the lives of young men and women in service unto God? Is it not because we have allowed the labor of prayer to fade? This cannot be and will not be; every soul surrendered to the Christ follows Christ. His example, is before us, ‘Behold, He prayeth’; He prayed on the mount, He prayed through the night, He prayed from the cross, He prayed in the garden, He prayed.
Secondly, when we have defined that individual prayer lives are right before God; then we must turn to the church and look at their testimony. It is well recorded from Pentecost through present day, that when God’s people prayed, He responded. From that very first example where the 120 met and prayed for 10 days and the result was the filling of the Holy Ghost upon them all. And upon Peter was boldness given and 3000 were added into the role of the Book of Life. The revival in China and India in present day are given testimony, that the church meets together and prays. The result is the same as the book of Acts. Yet, in North America the testimony of the church life, is that prayer has been removed. Not only in danger of so many saints not ‘giving themselves unto prayer’ individually, but the ‘house of prayer’ is no longer. We have not become Ichabod, where the glory of the Lord has departed. The Word of God is still preached and taught. Worship is being renewed in song and fellowship upon God’s holiness and wonders. Yet, prayer which is the catalyst of anointing from God’s throne, is left off. Half a century ago, there was a weekly prayer meeting held in most churches. Time, extended time was given to calling upon the Lord for His power, for confession and for souls to be saved. The great revivals in this nation had come from great prayer times by the body of believers. Before Jonathan Edwards stood and preached that sermon, ‘Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God’. He and his people were given to prayer and fasting days before that sermon was preached. Because the people prayed, God’s Spirit came down in such a powerful way that ushered in upon the region and throughout the states. Less than hundred years later, Charles Finney, through a time of yielded prevailing prayer was chosen as a vessel to preach with power the unsearchable riches of God. A prayer partner went before him, Praying Daniel Nash, praying days before Finney would show up and the power of God would come down. But today, prayer times are the least attended, the least mentioned, and most churches boast that they have no prayer time. Some are so foolish they even justify it by saying, ‘Look how much we have done without prayer, in building ministries, churches and labors.’ What will any of it mean at the judgment seat of Christ? It will all be wood, hay and stubble. It will all be consumed in fire for destruction. Even the souls saved without surrender unto Christ. Having offered a decision with their mouths but their hearts are far from Him. Do we not see that the weakness of so many churches is because of that lack and absence of prayer? Will you not concede to the facts that since the time that we have left off with deep, cleansing, urgent prevailing prayer, that baptisms and true born again experiences have dwindled and shortened? Will you not agree that the church is as sick as it ever has been because prayer is optional or obsolete in church life?
Lastly, I come to you with the last two verse given in opening. I repeat them for a standing testimony: “ Men ought always to pray” and ‘Pray without ceasing”. We
cannot do anything lasting for eternity and for His glory without His Divine commands being followed. These two verses should cover every action done in leadership, church and family and individual decisions. It is not to do it in reverse fashion, as has been demonstrated as of late. Where we make decisions and then go to the Lord and ask Him to bless it. This is utter folly and a high offence against God. All work done in denominations and by great men of old, has come that God spoke, moved, led by men praying always. The message and direction was clear and they walked in faith. God leading them all along. The delay in pursuing prevailing prayer and going ahead with decisions and affirmations will not last. God’s way is proven by saints since Pentecost. We cannot expect to fulfill the Great Commission without doing what Christ said. Everyone is quoting ‘Go and make disciples into all the earth’. But none is quoting the words that said, ‘Tarry in the city until you be endued with power from on high.’
Meetings have come and gone in the first part of this year. Little of next to nothing has been done or addressed at correcting this sin of prayerlessness among us. You cannot do the work of God without the power of God. We are becoming dangerously aligned with humanism, the great god of self can do it. Don’t let this sin be named among us. There needs to be clear, directive of prayer and yielding by leadership, churches, families and believers.
I ask you to give time and weight to this plea.
Thank you,
Until,
Dan Biser
Rdbiser@live.com
http://www.brokenbeforethethrone.com
http://dbiser.blogspot.com
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