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The Power of Prayer by R.A. Torrey

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The following is taken from R.A. Torrey’s classic on prayer: The Power of Prayer. R.A. Torrey (1856-1928) was an American evangelist, professor, pastor, and author. He is one of the three editors of The Fundamentals, an early 20th century defense of orthodox Protestant beliefs. Find more from R.A. Torrey at the BLB.

Ye have not, because ye ask not (James 4:2 KJV).

I bring you a message from God contained in seven short words. Six of the seven words are monosyllables, and the remaining word has but two syllables and is one of the most familiar and most easily understood words in the English language. Yet there is so much in these seven short, simple words that they have transformed many a life and brought many an inefficient worker into a place of great power.

I spoke on these seven words some years ago at a Bible conference in central New York. Some months after the conference, I received a letter from the man who had presided at the conference, one of the best-known ministers of the gospel in America. He wrote me, “I have been unable to get away from the seven words on which you spoke at Lake Keuka, they have been with me day and night. They have transformed my ideas, transformed my methods, transformed my ministry.” The man who wrote those words has since been the pastor of what is probably the most widely known of any evangelical church in the world. I trust that the words may sink into some of your hearts today as they did into his on that occasion and that some of you will be able to say in future months and years, “I have been unable to get away from those seven words, they nave seen with me day and night. They have transformed my ideas, transformed my methods, transformed my life, and transformed my service for God.”

You will find these seven words in James 4:2, the seven closing words of the verse, “Ye have not, because ye ask not. “

Comments

  1. Deffinatly if only we would ask not just for what we get but for ⌣̊⌣ τ̅☺ know who we are asking from that is GOD and τ̅☺ know why we should ask He wants ⌣̊⌣ τ̅☺ talk τ̅☺ Him as our Father build a relationship seek His kingdom first and everyother thing shall be added.amen Lord help ⌣̊⌣ τ̅☺ come τ̅☺ You boldly that we may know You as You ve known us

  2. There are two trains of thought…one from that of a servant and the other from a son or daughter. Once someone steps into the rights of being family, the asking changes dimension.

    • A BIG distinction! The Greek for ask in the verse has more of a commanding flavor than the begging tack that most scholars follow. It is also a verb of continuation, which tells us to ‘keep on asking’!

  3. Ah, George! I LOVE THAT! “Keep on asking!” So true! Our God Almighty does not get annoyed with us asking continually, over and over again for the same thing when we are asking in His will.
    I think that is the important part: “HIS WILL”.

    My prayers get answered all the time! Why? Because sometimes the answer is YES, sometimes it is NO and sometimes it is WAIT. It is the WAIT answers that I have a hard time with, and then I KEEP ON ASKING.

    Presently, one of my most serious prayer projects is for a young fellow I know. I see a little “movement” toward questioning who God is, and I keep on asking God to reveal Himself to this young man. It’s pretty exciting, and the waiting keeps me asking for God’s grace and mercy over and over again.

    Chris, thank you for today’s blog. I love prayer!
    Debi

  4. Talk about a vague “explanation” from Torrey! It opens Christians up to the danger of selfish asking from God in prayer, when the context of James 3 and 4 shows it has to do with humbling yourself, getting away from pride, so as to be a united group of believers sharing the gospel. How sad that Torrey’s vagueness can easily lead people to the opposite conclusion of what James was saying!

  5. Given this is diversified wisdom of God the isolated phrase “You do not have because of Your not asking” informs one(s) it’s not out of place to Go ahead and ask.

  6. So true, Eric, that is why the next verse follows which we must pay attention to as well because our motives matter to God:

    Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume [it] upon your lusts. (James 4:3)

    Good to remember the context in which the verse is written and also the whole of Scripture. We are told to pray without ceasing too! (1 Thess. 5:17)

    • Very true Shelly. I browsed through the sermon in it’s original form; it doesn’t seem to emphasis James 4:3 at all.

      To be fair, the context of the sermon doesn’t support selfish prayer; but I think it would have been beneficial to make the distinction in light of James 4:3.

      • I’m not saying that Torrey supports selfish prayer. I’m sure that is not what he meant. I am just saying that he should have provided some clarification as to the type of prayer that is appropriate. Leaving it up to interpretation allows the flesh to get involved.

  7. Prov. 18:10 the name of the Lord is a high tower the righteous run into it and are saved
    I was reading a book one day, on the weapons of our prayer life. I was reading the part where the author was talking about the name of Jesus..using the scriptures in John chapters 14,15,16 where Jesus is making the point of us praying in his name. As soon as I read “in my name” the holy spirit said read it again….so I read it again IN MY NAME…He kept on saying read it again until all of a sudden understanding broke open…..THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS IS A HIGH TOWER…..RUN INTO IT……My prayer life completely changed….I no longer add the in the name of Jesus postage stamp at the end of my prayers…I begin by running into the name of Jesus and blessing God almighty……My prayers are answered all the time…every one calls me for prayer…God is amazing!!!

  8. james 1:5 “So, if any one of YOU is lacking in wisdom, let him keep on asking God, for he gives generously to all and without reproaching; and it will be given him.”

    “YOU do not have because of YOUR not asking.” james 4:2

    Looking at the cited scripture in a larger context and immediate its concievable that the reason why they didn’t ask is because they were doing things their way relying on their wisdom like A’haz who refused to ask.

  10. I have asked the Lord concerning this, and I am convinced that we have forsaken the gospel message of grace, that empowered the early church as was given through the apostles teachings. We have in effect, in our many divisions and self perceived “rightness”, effectively sewed an old patch on a new garment. God is right now pouring out a spirit of grace and supplication on many throughout the world, and His house is being filled by all those who have vehemently opposed Christianity in the past. I pray His gold refined in the fire will also pervade the “body of believers”, and we will together with those being added put on our white robes, declaring salvation belongs to our God and to the Lamb. Lord give us the salve so that our eyes may see. Open our ears to Your knocking, so that we may let you in. God bless you brothers and sisters in Christ. We have a great opportunity. Perhaps greater than any since ” It was finished”.

  11. Therefore, let us ask in light of His glory and for His honor so that His name is lifted high and that souls formerly defaulted to going to Hell, would, instead, cry out and be saved by and for Jesus.

    Joel 2:32 And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors whom the LORD calls.

  12. Total submission and humility to our LORD and SAVIOUR is through fasting and prayers, John 14:14 JESUS says I go to the FATHER, ask anything in my NAME and l will do it for you.
    Because we ask GOD THE FATHER WHO IS THE HEAD IN THE NAME OF JESUS, JESUS THE ACTING FORCE ACT & MANIFEST OUR REQUEST WITH ANSWER THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT, & its done so our focus should only be on. Hebrew 12:2 looking unto JESUS the AUTHOR and the FINISHER of our FAITH & follow the due process in asking, Amen.