The following is part 3 from a blog series based on R.A. Torrey’s classicThe 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).
When we read the only inspired church history that was ever written, the history of the church in the days of the apostles as it is recorded by Luke (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) in the Acts of the Apostles, what do we find? We find a story of constant victory, a story of perpetual progress. We read, for example, such statements as Acts 2:47: “The Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” and Acts 4:4: “Many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand,” and Acts 5:14: “And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.” In addition Luke in Acts 6:7 states: “And the word of God increased: and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.”
And so we go on, chapter after chapter, through the twenty-eight chapters of Acts, and in every one of the twenty-seven chapters after the first, we find the same note of victory. I once went through the Acts of the Apostles marking the note of victory in every chapter, and without one single exception the triumphant shout of victory rang out in every chapter. How different the history of the church as here recorded is from the history of the church of Jesus Christ today. Take, for example, that first statement, “The Lord added to the church daily [that is, every day] such as should be saved.” Why, nowadays, if we have a revival once a year with an accession of fifty or sixty members and spend all the rest of the year slipping back to where we were before, we think we are doing pretty well. But in those days there was a revival all the time and accessions every day of those who not only “hit the trail” but “were [really] being saved.”
Why this difference between the early church and the church of Jesus Christ today? Someone will answer, “Because there is so much opposition today.” Ah, but there was opposition in those days, most bitter, most determined, most relentless opposition in comparison with which that which you and I meet today is but child’s play. But the early church went right on beating down all opposition, surmounting every obstacle, conquering every foe, always victorious, right on without a setback from Jerusalem to Rome, in the face of the most firmly entrenched and most mighty heathenism and unbelief. I repeat the question, “Why was it?” If you will turn to the chapters from which I have already quoted, you will get your answer.
steve morrow says
July 24, 2012 at 7:15 amHelp us O LORD that our hearts would be cleansed from darkness
and be filled with that which is good and let us understand what that goodness is and what understanding is help us that we would be made pure for you LORD AND THE FATHER
WE PRAY JESUS IN YOUR NAME
1 Thessalonians 2:13
For this cause also thank we GOD without ceasing because when you received the word of GOD which you heard of us you received it not as the word of men —BUT AS IT IS IN TRUTH THE WORD OF GOD—
WHICH EFFECTUALLY WORKETH ALSO IN YOU THAT BELIEVE
Psalm 119:1104
Through thy precepts I get UNDERSTANDING therefore I hate every false way
Psalm 119:99
I have more understanding than all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation
Psalm 119:100
I understand more than ancients because I keep thy precepts
Psalm 111:110
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom A good understanding have all they that do HIS commandments
HIS praise endureth forever
Psalm 12:1
HELP LORD for the godly man ceaseth for the faithful fail from among the children of men
Psalm 12:2
They speak vanity everyone with his neighbor with flattering lips
and with a —DOUBLE HEART— do they speak
Psalm 12:3
THE LORD SHALL CUT OFF ALL FLATTERING LIPS
AND THE TONGUE THAT SPEAKETH PROUD THINGS
Psalm 12:4
Who have said with our tongue will we prevail
our lips are our own —-WHO IS LORD OVER US—-
Psalm 12:6
The words of the LORD are pure words
as silver tried in a furnace of earth purified seven times
Psalm 30:5
EVERY WORD OF GOD IS PURE
HE is a shield to them that put their trust in HIM
Psalm 19:8
The statutes of the LORD are right rejoicing the heart
The commandment of the LORD is pure enlightening the eyes
Psalm 119:130
The entrance of thy words giveth —LIGHT—
IT GIVETH UNDERSTANDING UNTO THE SIMPLE
Psalm 119:138
Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful
Isaiah 8:20
To the law and to the testimony
IF they speak not according to this word
It is because there is no light in them
Proverbs 15:26
The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD
But the words of the pure are pleasant words
2 Corinthians 6:17
WHEREFORE COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM AND BE YE SEPARATE SAITH THE LORD AND TOUCH NOT THE UNCLEAN THING AND I WILL RECEIVE YOU
Titus 2:14
Who gave himself for us that HE might redeem us from all iniquity
and —PURIFY— unto himself a peculiar people zealous of
—GOOD WORKS—
James 4:8
Draw nigh unto GOD and HE will draw nigh unto you
Cleanse your hands you sinners and —PURIFY YOUR HEARTS—
you double minded
Matthew 19:17
And HE said unto him
Why callest thou ME good
There is none good but one—THAT IS GOD—
But if thou will enter into life keep the commandments
LOVING THE LORD
naomi says
July 24, 2012 at 10:47 pmI loved your comments, Steve, and the Scriptures you included. Especially Proverbs 18:2 A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions. Satan loves division and quarreling amongst the believers, and ‘opinions’ can often lead to just that! Let no Add “unwholesome” to dictionary talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for EDIFYING that it may BUILD UP those. who listen! So often, we all let our flesh (pride, arrogance) take control and we begin to tear each other down with our words. Love is patient and kind, not arrogant or rude. God is loving, but He also IS LOVE! Let us be like Him who created us in His image!!!
naomi says
July 24, 2012 at 10:56 pmSorry about the duplicate comment! I just got this smart phone, and it is smarter than me!
Debi C. says
July 24, 2012 at 7:53 amI was reading Luke 11 this morning, about asking and receiving.
I continue to pray for my young friend’s salvation.
Don’t give up! If we, who are parents, give good gifts to our children, won’t God give even better gifts? The Gift of Salvation? I keep praying that my young friend will hear the Lord’s call.
Don’t give up! Keep praying, seeking, asking.
–Debi
Barbara LeFevre says
July 24, 2012 at 11:49 amThank you, Debi. I needed this particular verse today.
God bless you!
andybob says
July 25, 2012 at 8:05 amSister Debi,
I have to give an AMEN shout out to your comments!
I was listening to our assistant Pastor preach a sermon a few months back and he was speaking on the verse, Luke 11:9, and how the Greek grammar is written here concerning the words “asking”, “seeking”, and “knocking”.
It is a part of grammar that shows “continual action” and is called the “Aroist” tense. So it reads “keep on asking”, “keep on seeking”, and “keep on knocking”.
If one takes the time to type in Luke 11:9 into the Blue Letter Bible website and clicks on the “V” button one can see the different versions of the Bible they’ve loaded into their website’s software and they can see the New Living Translation has incorporated the Aroist tense in their translation.
It reads, “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.”
So your encouraging words are a perfect fit! Thank you Sister!
More thoughts about prayer…
The word “pray” occurs 313 times in 306 verses in the King James Version of the Bible.
The word “prayer” occurs 114 times in 107 verses in the King James Version of the Bible.
When you total up how many times these two words are used it comes out to 427 times in 413 verses!
God is sending us a pretty clear message about prayer isn’t He?
Fact: God loves us (John 3:16) and He wants to hear from us. Just as we love our children, nephews, nieces, cousins, brothers, sisters and parents and we spend time with them, so He loves His creation and wants to hear from us and for us to get to know Him more and more!
Examples of men and woman of God who prayed:
We learn in our Bibles that Daniel, the Prophet and highly exalted minister to the kings of Babylon and Persia, prayed three times a day. He is an example for us to follow in that he obeyed God out of love for Him and God’s people and spent time getting to know Him.
We see further on in Daniel 10:2, 12-13 that he prayed against a prince demon of Persia for 21 days and Michael the arch angle was summoned by God to help! This is called intercessory prayer and we should pray for our friends,leaders and yes, even our enemies (Mat 5:44).
Hannah the mother of Samuel continued to prayed for a son (1 Samuel 1:1-20) year after year despite being miss treated by her husbands other wife and our God answered her!
We see Jesus praying for Peter that his faith would not fail and that he would be able to minister to others in the days that lay a head in Luke 22:32.
We see Jesus asking his close friends to help him pray in int he garden (Mat 26:36-44, Mark 14:32-41, Luke 22:39-46). Its good to have your friends pray with you!
It is truly good and wise to pray with your friends and family. We learn from just these few verses that there are men and women of God that prayed because they had learned that God loved them and their relationship with Him was built stronger and the fell in love more with Him as the spent time with Him in prayer.
We need to do as Sister Debi has encouraged us to do and that is to pray for one another and for our friends. When we pray we should remember to thank God for the things that He has done and the things that He will do in the future.
We need to pray for our Pastors and teachers that their faith would not fail and that they would be able to do God’s will in all things.
REMEMBER! “It is not how much we pray but it is the heart behind the prayer that matters.”
God Bless you Sister Debi and the rest of the body of Christ who are out here sharing your faith on this blog!
In Jesus name, Amen!
Andybob
Eric says
July 24, 2012 at 1:06 pmThe big difference between the church then and now were the physical miracles being done. This caused multitudes of people to follow, but they would soon fall away. Today, things are on more of an even keel.
steve morrow says
July 24, 2012 at 9:33 pmJames 5:16
Confess your faults one to another and pray for one for another that you may be healed
THE EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN AVAILETH MUCH
Psalm 7:11
GOD judgeth the righteous and GOD is angry with the wicked every day
Psalm 11:5
The LORD trieth the righteous but the wicked and him that loveth violence HIS SOUL HATETH
Psalm 31:18
Let the lying lips be put to silence which speak grievous things
proudly and contemptuously against the righteous
Psalm 34:21
Evil shall slay the wicked and they that hate the righteous shall
be desolate
Psalm 37:30
The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom and his tongue talketh of judgement
Psalm 52:6
The righteous also shall see and fear and shall laugh at him
Psalm 52:5 & Psalm 52:7
Proverbs 10:21
The lips of the righteous feed many
But fools die in want of wisdom
Luke 16:22
And it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abrahams bosom the rich man also died and was buried
Luke 16:23
And in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom
Luke 16:24
And he cried and said father Abraham have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame Luke 16:25,26,27
Luke 16:28
For I have five brethren that he may testify unto them lest they also come into this place of torment
Luke 16:31
And he said unto him
—IF—they hear not Moses and the prophets neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead
Romans 15:4
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope
Proverbs 10:32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable
But the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness
1 John 2:29
—IF—you know that HE is righteous you know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born of—HIM—
1 John 3:10
In this the children of GOD are manifest
and the children of the devil
WHOSOEVER DOETH NOT RIGHTEOUSNESS IS NOT OF GOD
NEITHER HE THAT LOVETH NOT HIS BROTHER
Proverbs 8:7&8
For MY mouth shall speak truth and wickedness is an abomination
to MY lips
(8)All the words of MY mouth are in righteousness
there is nothing froward or perverse in them
Psalm 145:17
The LORD is righteous in all HIS ways
and holy in all HIS works
Psalm 33:4
For the word of the LORD is right
and all HIS works are done in truth
Psalm 4:37
Now I Nebuchadnezzer praise and extol and honor the king of heaven —ALL WHOSE WORKS ARE DONE IN TRUTH—and HIS ways judgement and those that walk in pride HE is able to abase
LOVING THE LORD AND THE FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN
steve morrow says
July 25, 2012 at 5:03 amDaniel 4:37 is the last verse
Help me LORD to be more accurate
Donna Sharp says
July 25, 2012 at 4:19 amThe Trimphs of Faith. Hebrews 11.1 says “Now Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Now do I pray and believe it is done ? In prayer and supplication do I have the faith to believe that in the name of Jesus I receive what ever I ask for ? I am walking that out right now in my own life.
God has given me a great promise, over a year ago, one that will bring many people freedom from bondage and I am walking it out day by day, in prayer, faith, pain, tears, and determination that his word is true.
Now can I pray and stand long enough to see it through and not give up ? That is the question. Can I fight off the forces of evil putting doubt that he really told me ? My own flesh saying its not for you, its for someone else ?
Yes I choose to, not by my power of might but by his spirit !! It is done ! I have been given a promise a vision and I know my God is big enough to provide it. Abraham said the LORD PROVIDES ! God told Paul my grace is sufficient ! Jesus said it is done !
We have found many answered prayers, many healings, many miracles, and everyone of them came by crucifying our flesh, and pure unwavering faith and fight. Very often painful, tearful faith. I believe our peoples lack of personal relationship with the father, the son, and the holy spirit is why there is a shortage of power in prayer. I know it was mine.
It’s the Hearing of the word that shows his love which gives faith, then from faith comes knowing, then from knowing comes his power. If we only begin to walk with him like enoch did we can begin to see him ever moment of every day, then give him praise, acknowledgment, and see the changes take place before our eyes.
I expect my God to do these things, answer all my prayers, see to all my needs, wipe all my tears. He said so and I hold him to his word. I say it like this. My daddy said so, so it is !!!
Psalm 119.170 was my word this morning because I need break through it says. “Let my supplication come before thee; Deliver me according to Thy word.
And for me I stand on that! Greater things than this we shall do because I go to the father, our Christ said. We must believe it with and unwavering faith. It’s not a rational faith it’s an unwavering one. Amen….
The two verse below help me examine myself when I get in dry, dead places and my prayers seem to hit the glass ceiling. I find personally its my own striving that interferes with God’s answers to my prayers. Can you wait faithfully for him ? Its hard but he does deliver :)He says so !
James 4.2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.
Jam 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
Do we pray with the word of God in mind or our own ?