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The Power of Prayer: Present Day Departure from Prayer

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The following is part 5 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).

There is nothing else in which the church and the ministry of today or, to be more explicit, you and I have departed more notably and more lamentably from apostolic precedent than in this matter of prayer. We do not live in a praying age. A very considerable proportion of the membership of our evangelical churches today do not believe even theoretically in prayer. Many of them now believe in prayer as having a beneficial “reflex influence,” that is, as benefitting the person who prays, a sort of lifting yourself up by your spiritual bootstraps. But as for prayer bringing anything to pass that would not have come to pass if we had not prayed, they do not believe in it, and many of them frankly say so, and even some of our “modern ministers” say so. I believe it is still the vast majority in our evangelical churches-even they do not make the use of this mighty instrument that God has put into our hands that one would naturally expect. As I said, we do not live in a praying age. We live in an age of hustle and bustle, of man’s efforts and man’s determination, of man’s confidence in himself and in his own power to achieve things, an age of human organization and human machinery, human push and human scheming, and human achievement, which in the things of God means no real achievement at all.

I think it would be perfectly safe to say that the church of Christ was never in all its history so fully, so skillfully and so thoroughly and so perfectly organized as it is today. Our machinery is wonderful; it is just perfect, but, alas, it is machinery without power; and when things do not go right, instead of going to the real source of our failure, our neglect to depend on God and look to God for power, we look around to see if there is not some new organization we can get up, some new wheel that we can add to our machinery. We have altogether too many wheels already. What we need is not so much some new organization, some new wheel, but “the Spirit of the living creature in the wheels” we already possess.

I believe that the devil stands and looks at the church today and laughs in his sleeve as he sees how its members depend on their own scheming and powers of organization and skillfully devised machinery. “Ha, ha,” he laughs, “you may have your Boy Scouts, your costly church edifices, your multi-thousand-dollar church organs, your brilliant university-bred preachers, your high-priced choirs, your gifted sopranos and altos and tenors and bases, your wonderful quartets, your immense men’s Bible classes, yes, and your Bible conferences, and your Bible institutes, and your special evangelistic services, all you please of them; it does not in the feast trouble me, if you will only leave out of them the power of the Lord God Almighty sought and obtained by the earnest, persistent, believing prayer that will not take no for an answer.” But when the devil sees a man or woman who really believes in prayer, who knows how to pray, and who really does pray, and, above all, when he sees a whole church on its face before God in prayer, “he trembles” as much as he ever did, for he knows that his day in that church or community is at an end.

Prayer has as much power today, when men and women are themselves on praying ground and meeting the conditions of prevailing prayer, as it ever has had. God has not changed, and His ear is just as quick to hear the voice of real prayer and His hand is just as long and strong to save as they ever were. “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save: neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But our iniquities may “have separated between us and our God, and “our sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1,2). Prayer is the key that unlocks all the storehouses of God’s infinite grace and power. All that God is, and all that God has, are at the disposal of player. But we must use the key. Prayer can do anything that God can do, and as God can do anything, prayer is omnipotent. No one can stand against the one who knows how to pray and who meets all the conditions of prevailing prayer and who really prays. “The Lord God Omnipotent” works from him and works through him.

Previous posts in this series:

Comments

  1. Super convicting and helpful my prayer life has very stale for a long time thank you.

  3. “Amen” to that post! I wrote this down: “Prayer is the key that unlocks all the storehouses of God’s infinite grace and power”. What a mighty tool we have in our folded hands on our bended knees.

    • Debi
      I was really happy to read your comment. “Folded hands on our BENDED KNEES”. We have seem to misinterpreted the true meaning of worship in the church today. Most believe it is raising our hands while singing. This lack of proper understanding is promoted by calling praise and celebration teams worship teams and so bended knees and folded hands has taken a back seat along with intemate paryer. I pray others coem to understand how important bended knees and folded hands are as we humble ourselves before our Lord God.

  4. When I have read of the Spirit of the living creature I had never thought of them as the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Humbling. And He is ours through His own presious blood.

  5. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING ! Want to see a heart change, Pray for them ! Want to see a mountain move, Pray for it to move ! Want to see a miracle, Pray for it ! Want to see the power of God, Pray for eyes to see ! Jesus out great intercessor left us here to be his body. if you want to move God Pray!!! pray without ceasing. Believing in what you pray to be. If believing is hard pray you unbelieve be removed ! Only God can change the heart of a man.
    1Tim 2:8
    Therefore I want the men in every place to pray,lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.

    I have to share a conviction God gave me a while ago, but it proved to be one of the greatest revelations he has ever given me and it changed my life.

    My husband and I were traveling down I75 to vacation in Florida and this women pulled right out in front of us on the freeway, car full of kids, not paying attention, and I railed at her with my mouth, and the Holy Spirit convicted me right then and there very strongly, and trust me if he has ever spanked you before, (WOW) it stopped me in my tracks.

    However I am so glad he did because of what happened next. I sat there very quietly and very humbly for a few minutes and then I got it !!! Then the light came on he said PRAY FOR HER !!! So my husband and I started praying for her to pay attention, for her safe arrival, that the children would quiet down and behave. Then I knew why he let her pull out of in front of us. Because she needed prayer, and we are his body and mouth, he left with his power and we need to use what he has given us to overcome this evil and help his people.

    From that point on, I try, now I am flesh, sometimes I have to do what we call (DO OVERS) 🙂 but when things happen to us, or people do things to us, or circumstances come upon us, we step revove our opinion, back up and begin to pray for those who are involved.

    Remember Jesus perceived what people needed, he saw they were sick, deaf, demonized. We can to if we listen and watch with his eyes and ears and the power and gifts he has given us.

  7. I believe everything written in this article some of the comments I have heard bible scholars say it is very refreshing to see that I’m not in the dark ages that God is still the same God no matter anyone says prayer changes the most dire of circumstances and situations Imhave lived it and continue to see it my brothers and sisters prayer warriors continue to pray on without ceasing thank you for the encouragement to know that there are some bible scholars out there who really believe in the power of God.
    May God continue to bless.

  8. Help us O LORD to be convicted of the obedience necessary for our salvation and of the living sacrifice you command of us
    Let us not be led astray by those who want it their way LORD
    Teaching for doctrines the traditions of man help us O LORD to be convicted of your love as you define it help us lord we pray and ask according to the will of THE FATHER IN YOUR NAME JESUS

    Hebrews 5:9
    And being made perfect
    HE BECAME THE AUTHOR OF ETERNAL SALVATION
    UNTO ALL THEM THAT—-OBEY HIM—-

    Psalm 119:155
    Salvation is far from the wicked
    For they seek not your statutes

    John 14:15
    —IF— you love ME keep MY commandments

    1 Corinthians 14:37
    —IF—any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual
    Let him acknowledge that the things I write unto you are
    —THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD—

    2 John 1:6
    AND THIS IS LOVE that we walk after HIS commandments
    This is the commandment that as you have heard from
    the beginning you should walk in it

    Acts 5:29
    Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said
    We ought to obey GOD rather than men

    2 Thessalonians 2:10
    And with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness in them that
    perish because they received not the love of the truth
    —-THAT THEY MIGHT BE SAVED—-

    Ephesians 2:2
    Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air
    THE SPIRIT THAT NOW WORKETH IN THE CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE

    Ephesians 5:6
    —-LEY NO MAN DECEIVE YOU WITH VAIN WORDS—
    For because of these things cometh the wrath of GOD upon the children of disobedience

    Colossians 3:6
    For which things sake the wrath of GOD cometh upon the children of disobedience

    Hebrews 2:2&3
    For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast
    AND EVERY TRANSGRESSION RECEIVED A JUST RECOMPENCE OF REWARD
    (3)HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE IF WE NEGLECT SO GREAT A SALVATION WHICH AT THE FIRST BEGAN TO BE SPOKEN OF BY THE LORD
    AND WAS CONFIRMED UNTO US BY THEM THAT HEARD HIM

    Luke 4:4 and JESUS answered him IT IS WRITTEN
    That man shall not live by bread alone
    But by every word of GOD

    Romans 12:1&2
    I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of GOD that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto GOD
    WHICH IS YOUR REASONABLE SERVICE
    (2)And be not conformed to this world
    But be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind
    that you may prove what is that good and acceptable
    and perfect will of GOD

    2 Corinthians 10:18
    For not he that commendeth himself is approved
    But whom the LORD commendeth

    LOVING THE LORD