What We Know About Prayer (And Why We Don't)
If you’re a Christian, you know you should pray. If you’re like me, you also know you don’t pray as often as you should. There could be a few reasons for this. Possibly, deep down you don’t think God wants to hear from you (not true!). Alternatively, it may be that you tend to trust in your own power, your own agency, and honestly doubt the reality of God’s power. It could be a combination of various things.
I want to point out one possibility that especially applies to the weathered Christian. You’ve been around long enough to know your prayers aren’t always answered as desired. You pray for healing, but death appears instead. You pray for different circumstances, but the old remains. You pray for some person to turn to Christ, but they stick with their sin. At this point, you could begin to doubt God’s power, but you are studied enough to know this is not the case. You could begin to doubt God’s goodness, but after every lively wrestling match you again concede His goodness remains intact. So then, what else might hold us back from praying?
You know God is good and all powerful and that sometimes your prayers are not answered as desired. The obstacle is right under your nose yet regularly overlooked – it is that matter of the will. We want our way more than God’s way. Even if prayers should sometimes go “our way”, we still know by the opposite outcome that it is never really our way but His way – Every. Single. Time.
If we are passionate about the Father’s will, we will be passionate about prayer. If we are only passionate about our plans, we will neglect prayer. Even when we might get what we desire, the possible disappointment of our plans dissuades us from risking our hearts in prayer. We take protection in avoidance, shelter in our silence.
If we will become passionate for the Father’s will, prayer will become our refuge. When His will becomes our way, our sorrow is regularly washed with His peace. Desiring His purpose, His plan, prayer is our eager acceptance to go with God.
Any analogy would fail to completely comprehend the mysterious operation of our prayers in God’s purpose – He lacks no power, wisdom, or goodness such that He would need our input. But it is as though he invites us aboard saying, “Pray, let down the sails and see where I’ll take you.” It is impossible for us to know what would happen if we didn’t pray (of course our modern mind wishes we could run a scientific experiment on this). God only knows what could happen and has always known when we would or wouldn’t pray. God does not ask us to comprehend this mystery; he simply instructs us to participate in the unfolding of His will.
But do we desire the Father’s will? Our constancy in prayer always turns on this. It bears repeating because I believe it is the crux of the matter for many Christians. Desiring the Father’s will is the heartbeat of Christ’s prayer life. He teaches his disciples to pray, ”Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Mat. 6:10) He tells them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” (John 4:34) He prays in Gethsemane, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will...My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done." (Mat. 25:39, 42)
If you don’t pray, even though you may be a long-time Christian, even though you may know all the theological facts, it may simply be this most important thing: you lack passion for the Father’s will. I won’t try to explain here why you might lack this passion. Better for you to ask the question and find the answer. Whatever you find, we all know this: Christ’s passion for the Father’s will must become our own. There is no better place to acquire this passion than to begin by asking for it in prayer.
I invite you to join us for our upcoming Truth Rooted video series on “Prayer & Fasting” beginning on Tuesday, February 16th. New videos will appear on our Truth Rooted page found here. Receive videos directly by signing up for our e-news here or by texting your name to 833-255-7564 to receive regular updates from RCC ( you can opt out from both at any time).
Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Rev. Tom Loghry
Tom Loghry is the senior pastor of Rockland Community Church in North, Scituate, RI. He is a graduate of the Berkshire Institute for Christian Studies, Toccoa Falls College (B.S. Pastoral Ministry), and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (M.A. Theology). He is continuing his graduate studies in the area of “Ethics & Society” at GCTS.