Short Thoughts

“And he spake a parable unto them to this end,
that men ought always to pray, and not to faint”
~ Luke 18:1

In His ministry, Christ taught the disciples how to pray and that they ought to pray. It is positively taught and understood that the children of God are to pray. Jesus instructed the disciples saying, “When ye pray.” It is written that “praying always” is a mark of those that overcome. Jesus said, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:36).

Christians who do not pray and Christians who will not pray are hardly worthy to bear the title. Rolfe Barnard once said that if God sentenced most Christians to pray for five minutes, they would be miserable and go crazy. They would not be able to do it. After about a minute, they would lose their mind to think about the corn crop, their bank notes, or some other thing. It is not only our obligation to pray, it is also our privilege and opportunity to pray. Let us now meditate upon prayer.

Jesus preached, “That men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” We see from His own prayers, that Christ took praying seriously. He poured out His heart unto the Father. “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44). In telling his disciples “to pray, and not to faint”, He intends intense persistent prayer. It is not the mumbling of a few ritualistic words in the general direction of Heaven that avails much. It is “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man” that “availeth much” (James 5:16).

Effectual fervent prayer is an intense exchange with God. This sort of prayer engages the whole man. You cannot pour out your heart and be pondering the condition of the stock exchange. You cannot pour out your heart to God while wondering what the ballgame score is. You must be involved in prayer. Once before prayer, Jesus said, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death” (Mark 14:34). He went to the Father with a burden. He had nothing short of communion with God in mind when He prayed. Once on the mount, His prayer grew so intense that He began to shine with radiant light. He came so close to God in communion that the glory of the Father swept over Him and the disciples were amazed.

I long for those hours of prayer when my heart grows hot within me. I long for the times when I become so engaged in fellowship with my Lord that I begin to feel the wind of the heavenly world blow upon me. I desire to pray and for my soul to be ravished and caught up in rapturous glory. I then cry aloud like the Psalmist that said, “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice” (Psalm 55:17). Oh, how easy prayer comes at these times. Almost without effort, we pour out our hearts to Him in the morning, at noon, and at night. Praise God! I sing with John Newton:

His name yields the richest perfume, And sweeter than music His voice;
His presence disperses my gloom, And makes all within me rejoice:
I should, were He always thus nigh, Have nothing to wish or to fear;
No mortal so happy as I; My summer would last all the year.

He also purposed to teach that in prayer, men are “not to faint.” You may say, “I have never had the kind of experience, that you described, when I pray.” You need to heed the words of Christ “not to faint.” There is a persistence required in prayer if we are to secure the blessings of it. We must be like Jacob who wrestled with God and said, “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me” (Genesis 32:26). We must be like Daniel who said, “And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes” (Daniel 9:3). We must “come boldly unto the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16). We must be like a spiritual Samson that will uproot the very gates of Heaven rather than be denied an entrance.

If you are a child of God, “ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). You have a right to call on God. You have a right to cast “all your care upon Him.” This right is not because of anything that we are or that we have done it is because of Jesus Christ who came “To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Galatians 4:5). He is our righteousness! He is our advocate! He is our reason! Have faith in the finished work of Christ and pray to God. Do not rest until you have laid hold of Heaven through prayer. Not all Christians have this sort of fellowship with God, but do not be satisfied without it.

Though prayer is not natural to us, it is a discipline in which we should be much practiced. Let us never fail through want of prayer. There may be many reasons that we do not accomplish what we set out to do, but may our enterprise never languish for want of prayer. Additionally, we may run out of time for many things in a day. I hope that never shall the sun rise or set but what I have been much engaged with my Lord in prayer. Christian, seek His face continually and lay hold of the riches we have in Christ Jesus.

“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me,
be with me where I am;
that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me:
for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.”
~ John 17:24

Our devotional verse is found in the high priestly prayer of Jesus Christ. He exercised His intercessory office praying to the Father for His people. He declared, “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine” (John 17:9). Now Job said of God, “For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment” (Job 9:32). Job realized there was a difference between himself and God, “for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth.” He also realized that he could not stand in the breach. Eli saw the same predicament when he said, “If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him?” (1 Samuel 2:25). Job further observed that not only could he not stand in the breach but also no other man could stand there for him. “Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both” (Job 9:33). Who could lay his hand upon God?

In John chapter 17 we see Christ standing in the breach, laying His hand upon man and laying His hand upon God. He is the fulfillment of the type we have in Moses with Israel. “Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them” (Psalm 106:23). Jesus “thought it not robbery to be equal with God” and He “lifted up his eyes to heaven” and prayed to the Father as the Son. He had power to lay hold on God and man, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). He stood in the breach and turned away the wrath that His people deserved by giving Himself as a ransom. What a blessing to know there is an advocate, a days-man! What a blessing for His people to know “he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”

Let us turn now to the particular request made in our text. Firstly we notice that Jesus said, “Father, I will.” Now during His earthly ministry, Christ declared, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38). He also said, “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me” (John 5:30). Jesus is the perfect servant. He was totally submerged in the will of the Father. It must then be of great significance when He expresses His will as in our text: “Father, I will.” Read John 6:39-40 and you will find this expression of Christ’s will to be in harmony with that of the Father, revealing the unity of the purpose of the trinity in the salvation of men.

It is noteworthy to observe that Jesus expressed His will. It is also worthwhile to note the substance of His petition. Secondly we see His request was “that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me.” Christ here reveals His desire for His purchased people to be with Him and behold His glory. He longs for the consummation of His work when He presents His people spotless before the throne saying, “Behold I and the children which God hath given me” (Hebrews 2:13). He will stand victorious; having accomplished the purpose where unto He was sent.

Christ does not only joy in His accomplishment. He also has joy in His people. “For the LORD’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance” (Deuteronomy 32:9). He manifested His great love by laying down His life. He “loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood” (Revelation 1:5). And He desires us to be with Him. It is no wonder that we love Him, “Who gave himself for us.” But it is a great mystery that He should love us. Surely the love of Christ “passeth knowledge.” We are constrained to sing the old song,

I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me, A sinner, condemned, unclean.
How marvelous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be:
How marvelous! How wonderful is my Savior’s love for me!

It is a great comfort to know these truths when our saved loved ones have departed. We see that Jesus is fetching them home to be with Him. The shepherd says in Solomon’s Song, “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away” (Song of Solomon 2:13). We have a picture of the Good Shepherd beckoning His beloved sheep home. We cannot weep for the departed righteous. They are in the presence of the loving Shepherd beholding His great glory.

This poor man cried,
and the LORD heard him,
and saved him out of all his troubles.
~ Psalm 34:6

Our text is one that all can identify with. If you have been on the way for very long at all, you have prayed the poor man’s prayer. David was driven out by his enemies and had not a friend in the world. His head had been anointed. His ascent to the throne was imminent. He was the royal stock. It had been said that he was a man after God’s own heart. Yet, he is reduced to play the poor man. He was destitute and afflicted. His life was on the line and he cried out to God. Let us note some things concerning this rough petition.

Firstly, a poor man has poor ways. Though David was to become king, he had nothing here to help himself. He was much like the woman in the Gospels who had come to an end of herself. Her physical condition was wretched. She had come to poverty visiting the doctors and was only worse for all her trouble. She had no hope. But, if only she could touch the hem of Jesus’ garment, she would be made whole. She had no other options. It was a plea of faith but also desperation. It is when we are brought to the place that we have nothing to help ourselves, we will cast our cares on Christ. In this condition we will pray as at no other time.

The poor man offers a poor prayer. This prayer is poor of words. Gone are wordy lines. There is no lavish speech with its grand phrases. We may lisp and stammer. If one were to overhear, surely such rough speech would jar their ears. They would probably judge it unworthy of an audience in the throne room of God. It is altogether unfit for God or man. I believe that even at our best, our prayers are poor. “For we know not what we should pray for as we ought.” The case almost seems hopeless.

Ah, but notice this prayer is called a “cry”, and rightly so. This prayer may be poor of fine words and elocution, but it is rich with earnestness. This fervent petition is not cumbered with many ornaments, which allows for much more haste. When we have prayed in this manner, helpless, scared, not knowing what to do, we have found that terrible throne to be a throne of grace. The gates of heaven have swung open and granted access when at other times they have seemed to us closed fast. We feel as if we were one with Jacob, of whom the scriptures say, “And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed” (Ge 32:28).

Secondly, this poor prayer is heard and answered. Though stripped of pleasantries with all pretenses removed, this effectual fervent prayer has availed much. Often in our weakest condition have we found God the closest to us. Truly, “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart.” Our prayers have been heard most graciously when they have risen as the impulse of a broken heart. Our desperate circumstance has not hindered, but has helped our pleas. Thanks be to God that has heard and delivered.

Christian, what is your plight at this hour? Are you burdened, heavy-laden, or overwhelmed? Then go without delay. Fly to the throne grace. There you may find help in the time of need. Don’t bother with forming proper words and sentences. Rely on the Spirit. He helps our infirmities by making intercessions for us with groanings that cannot be uttered. Depend upon your Father to understand. “He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer” (Ps 102:17). Though we are poor and needy, He thinks of us. Praise be to His most Holy Name!