- Overcomer Literature Trust
- Swindon
- Wiltshire
‘The Practice of Prayer’.
By G.Campbell Morgan.
“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When He finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray’ . . . ‘Father, hallowed be your Name’ . . . Then He said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves’ . . .‘Don’t bother me’ . . . ‘he will get up and give’ . . . ‘So I say to you, Ask and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you’ . . . If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him” (Luke 11 v1-13).
Never did the disciples make a more important request than when they said, “Lord, teach us to pray” and no petition was more graciously answered. The church to-day needs to bring that petition first of all, but she needs to do so remembering that she already has the answer. Whatever may have been the case with the first disciples it is certainly true of us that before we “call” He “answers”.
Any discussion of the doctrine of prayer which does not issue in the practice of prayer is not only not helpful, it is dangerous. At the same time that practice will be greatly helped by an understanding of the relative Christian doctrine. That there is need for its consideration is clear on every hand.
There can be no question that the church’s understanding of Jesus Christ is keener to-day than it has ever been. There is to-day a wide-spread consciousness of the human Christ and this has brought assurance of His interest in all departments of our life. There has also arisen a conviction of His universality, and while rejoicing as never before in the warmth and nearness of Him as Man, we have come to a greater understanding of the greatness of Him, the Word.
Yet in all these things there is a sense of lack and of poverty. While the sense of the greatness of Christ is larger, the ability to bring men into loving, saving touch with Him seems less. The men at His disposal are many, but the Church lacks energy to send them forth. The methods are multiplied and yet one cannot help feel that many of our organizations are like fungus growths, sapping the Church’s life and contributing nothing to her fruitfulness.
We are profoundly conscious of lack. Everywhere there is a double sense, that of power and of paralysis. We have heard the sound of the ‘going in the top of the mulberry trees’, but the wind of God seems to tarry. All about us are indifferent masses. We still mourn the dearth of conversions and are painfully conscious of the languishing missionary spirit.
Where is the lack? I think it may broadly be stated that the supreme need of the Church is the realization of her relationship to God by the Holy Spirit. In the interaction of life and prayer will be found the secret of power, and the realization of fellowship with God will never be more than a theory save as prayer becomes a practice. I am profoundly conscious that there is a great deal of prayer, God has His intercessors everywhere. They are to be found often in unexpected places, in men and women who have learned the secret and who by familiar intercourse with God are channels of blessing, but the majority of us are not praying.
While I thank God for the prayers being offered I feel that it is of the utmost importance that the whole Church should know the secret of prevailing prayer, not only as a theory but in practice.
The importance of our presenting the same petition as the early disciples is clear. That petition must be understood. It was a much larger one than we often make it. They did not say, ‘Lord, teach us how to pray’ but, “Lord, teach us to pray”. A great many people know how to pray, but they do not pray. The request, ‘Teach us how to pray’ would refer simply to the theory. The petition “teach us to pray” includes theory and practice.
It is interesting to notice the circumstances in which the disciples made this request. “One day Jesus was praying . . . When He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray.” It is hardly possible to read these words without seeing the connection between their request and their observation of the Lord. Jesus Himself was a Man of prayer, and there is no doubt that they had often seen Him at prayer and in all probability had heard Him. Although He never prayed with them or used in His own prayers the same words He used of theirs, yet it was clear to them how much prayer meant to Him and it is as though they had said, ‘We would come into this secret place of Yours’. It was a request arising from their conviction of the value of prayer in His life. The answer of Jesus was far more comprehensive than at first sight may appear. Immediately He gave them a pattern and a parable. The pattern itself was not exhaustive for it consisted of the recitation of certain sentences. He then gave them a parable which taught by contrast the readiness of God to hear and answer. If through importunity they could be persuaded to give, how much more would God give out of the love of His heart.
This pattern and parable constitute nothing more than the immediate and partial answer of Jesus to their request. Later He gave them much detailed teaching and yet not even this exhausted His great and gracious answer. He is Himself, in His revelation of the place and power of prayer in human life, the supreme answer to their request. By the whole fact of incarnation and perfect life, of atonement, resurrection and perpetual priesthood, Christ is the answer.
It is well for us to remember that we are in direct succession to these disciples, that their requests are our requests, and His answers to them are His answers to us. It remains true that His essential teaching was intended for us as well as for those who first heard it. When He stood surrounded by that first group of disciples He prayed, and in the course of His prayer He said, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message”. I always feel warmly near to the heart of Christ when I read these words, for I know that He saw me also, and included me in His priestly intercession. As there He prayed for us with them, so also in all His teaching He spoke to us as to them.
From ‘The Practice of Prayer’.
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