Effectural Prayer
By Liston E. Wallace
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During World War One I was at that "Now I lay me down to sleep" prayer age, where every prayer ended with "Bless mama and daddy and the birds and flowers." The war had its effect on my prayers, too. For I remember having added, "And Dear God, bless all the Americans and kill all the Germans. Amen."
As I grew older I realized that God had not answered that prayer. He had not blessed all the Americans, nor had He killed all the Germans. Why? I wondered. The reason, I believe, was because I had asked "amiss." James 4:3 says, "Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss." We ask for things of our own desires and fail to consider the consequences it might have on others or ourselves.
According to the Bible this is only one reason why prayers are not answered. However, God wants to answer His children's petitions, so He has given instructions, in His Holy Word, how their prayers might be more effective.
Jesus, in teaching His disciples, gave them a model prayer (Matt. 6:9, 13). In this prayer He said to pray to our Heavenly Father. We are not to pray to anyone else. To do so may be another reason He doesn't answer some prayers.
"Hallowed be Thy name." We are to realize that God is holy. Honoring Him for it and giving Him the highest praise we are capable of. If we fail to honor Him we should not expect Him to heed our petitions.
"Thy will be done." We are to ask if it is His will. No matter how much we might want our prayers answered, we must be willing to let God have His way about it. Christ did this in the garden of Gethsemane. He didn't want to be crucified. Yet, He allowed His Father's will to be done. And for that short period of anxiety and suffering He emerged victorious. If we allow God to have his way, we, too, will be repaid a thousandfold.
"Give us this day our daily bread." God doesn't want us to ask for just anything and everything. But He does want us to ask for that which is necessary for our wellbeing. Just as we parents like for our children to ask for things, so does God like for His children to come to Him with their petitions.
"Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." God is willing to forgive us if we are willing to forgive others. If we don't forgive...God will not forgive. It is as simple as that. (Matt. 6:14, 15).
"Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil." We ask Him not to let us be tempted to a degree that will cause us to succumb. God has promised His children that they will not be tempted above that which they are able (1 Cor. 10:13). Overcoming temptation strengthens a Christian. Therefore, some temptation is good for us...provided we don't yield to it. When we exert an effort to overcome evil, then God takes a hand and delivers us from it.
The reasons we pray might vary. Some pray for show. This, God condemns. (Matt. 6:5). I heard a man pray once who, I'm sure, was trying to impress the audience instead of God. He was very precise in his diction. He spoke much too loud and he used the biggest words I had ever heard. God doesn't want us to impress people with our prayers. He wants us to impress Him. One way to do this, He suggests, is to seek a place of solitude and talk to him in secret (Matt. 6:6).
The story is told of one man, who, when he prayed, retired to a room and placed two chairs together, one facing the other. He invited God to sit in one and he sat in the other. There in that quiet room he talked with God. There is no better tonic for tired and frayed nerves than a long quiet talk with one's Heavenly Father.
However, we can't always find a quiet, secluded place every time the need for prayer arises, so we pray wherever we are
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We can talk to God while at work or at play. We can talk to Him while driving down a busy street. I have had several occasions to thank Him for keeping me out of accidents when some drivers have swerved too near me or failed to stop at a stop sign. However, I've heard some drivers say everything except a prayer when confronted with a near accident. They usually call the other driver everything except something nice. I have never understood why they do this. The other fellow never hears what they say anyway.
Many things might instigate a prayer. Little things that seem to some insignificant, are important enough to others to trigger a prayer to God. One lady I knew said a prayer every time she heard the wail of an ambulance siren. She would ask God's blessings on the one who was sick or hurt.
We pray for our country and we pray for our boys on the battle fields, but how often do we pray for the boys on the other side? It isn't too hard to pray for loved ones and friends, but do we find it just as easy to pray for our enemies? They probably need our prayers more than those we love.
The posture used while praying isn't always the same with every individual. For some, kneeling is the proper position in which to approach God. But for those who have bony knees, it would be too uncomfortable for them to kneel and concentrate on what they wanted to say. Some bow their heads while others look up toward Heaven. One's position might vary according to circumstances. Sometimes Jesus knelt. In the garden he fell upon the ground. The publican stood, praying. It isn't so much our position that matters. It's the prayer.
Jesus said, "Whatsoever ye ask in my name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (John 14:13). Every prayer to our Heavenly Father should acknowlege His Son. And we do that by asking God to answer our petitions in the name of Jesus.
Jesus also said, "Whatsoever ye ask in prayer believing, ye shall receive." (Matt. 21:22). Many times our faith is weak. We ask for something knowing that God has the power to grant it, yet, we don't believe He will.
The story is told about a little country church being called to a special meeting one night to pray for rain. Many members came but no one brought his umbrella. If we don't think God will do what we ask, why do we take up his time and ours asking for it? Lack of faith will keep God from answering our prayers.
When God does something nice for us, how much do we thank Him? Do we just say, "Thank you, God," and leave it at that? Recently my wife and I gave two little girls Christmas presents. They not only said, "Thank you," but were so happy about it that they threw their arms about our necks and hugged and kissed us. Do we appreciate what God does for us enough to hug His neck? We should be so happy and appreciative that we not only should thank Him, but should tell Him how much we love and appreciate Him. Do we ever sincerely say, "God, I love You?" Sure, He knows before we say it, whether or not we do. But I believe He would be pleased to hear it from us, if we really meant it.
Do we ever thank God for Himself? If it hadn't been for Him in the first place, there would be nothing else to be thankful for. We thank Him many times for many things, even for Jesus Christ our Savior. But do we ever say, "Thank You, God, for You?"
Some of us never think to pray unless we are sick or in trouble. Then we seek God's help by praying. But we have drifted so far away from Him in our prayer life that it is difficult to return to where He is. God never leaves us. We leave him. And we never realize how far away we are until something happens that causes us to need Him quickly. Constant prayer will help keep us from straying away. Paul said, "Pray without ceasing." (1 Thes. 5:17).
Sometimes we allow our prayers to become too one-sided. We pray, "Father,
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I don't think God minds us using the words "Thee" and "Thou" and similar old English words. But I believe that He had just as soon we speak to Him in present-day English or French or German or whatever our language. He wouldn't even mind our slang if we didn't know any better. As the little boy who said, "I ain't got much o' nothin', Lord. But what I got I thank you for."
"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16). The outcome of our prayers depends not only on how fervent or sincere we are but on how righteous we are too. So it behooves us all to live as God would have us live. The Bible is the best source of information the Christian has on how to live and how to pray. So my prayer is that we all turn to its pages and find it for ourselves.
Editor's Note. Listen E. Wallace can be addressed at 3833 Ozark Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70805.