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The Humility of Prayer

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The following is adapted from Charles Spurgeon’s devotional Morning and Evening, available at the BLB alongside many other free devotional studies.

“Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.”
—Lamentations 3:41

PRAYER TEACHES US

The act of prayer teaches us our unworthiness, which is a very salutary lesson for such proud beings as we are. If God gave us favors without constraining us to pray for them we should never know how poor we are, but a true prayer is an inventory of wants, a catalogue of necessities, a revelation of hidden poverty. While it is an application to divine wealth, it is a confession of human emptiness.

WE ARE DEPENDENT

The most healthy state of a Christian is to be always empty in self and constantly depending upon the Lord for supplies; to be always poor in self and rich in Jesus; weak as water personally, but mighty through God to do great exploits; and hence the use of prayer, because, while it adores God, it lays the creature where it should be, in the very dust. Prayer is in itself, apart from the answer which it brings, a great benefit to the Christian. As the runner gains strength for the race by daily exercise, so for the great race of life we acquire energy by the hallowed labor of prayer. Prayer plumes the wings of God’s young eaglets, that they may learn to mount above the clouds. Prayer girds the loins of God’s warriors, and sends them forth to combat with their sinews braced and their muscles firm.

PRAYER LEADS TO GOD’S DIVINE STRENGTH

An earnest pleader comes out of his closet, even as the sun arises from the chambers of the east, rejoicing like a strong man to run his race. Prayer is that uplifted hand of Moses which routs the Amalekites more than the sword of Joshua; it is the arrow shot from the chamber of the prophet foreboding defeat to the Syrians. Prayer girds human weakness with divine strength, turns human folly into heavenly wisdom, and gives to troubled mortals the peace of God.

We know not what prayer cannot do! We thank thee, great God, for the mercy‐seat, a choice proof of thy marvelous lovingkindness. Help us to use it aright throughout this day!

Comments

  2. This lesson brings out two major points about us (humans) we are proud beings yet we are spiritually bankrupt. I lovingly call this situation the “Dichotomy of Man”. A Dichotomy is simply a division into two mutually exclusive, opposed, or contradictory groups. So we as Christians have a dichotomy between thought and action – spirit and flesh.

    Paul discussed this issue so well in Romans 7:14 -25 see the excerpt below:

    Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not. Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Rom 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

    Prayer is the only way that we can “Plug” into God’s grace and mercy and try to break this “Dichotomy of Man”. I know that I personally struggle with this condition daily.

  3. I like the # 2 definition of Prayer from Dictionary.com
    Prayer:
    2.a spiritual communion with God or an object of worship, as in supplication, thanksgiving, adoration, or confession.

    I talk with Father constantly, when I get in a jam, when I get blessed, when I get lost, when I am on top. The Holy Spirit is my best friend, my confidant, my constant companion.

    It’s in the communion and the petition that I feel closest to to Him. Today we hung out in the swing by our creek I watched while He played in the wind. :)I was quite for once! His presense was all around me as I laid there watching being completely reassured with His word ringing in my ears with the exact verses I needed for this time, this season, this battle rang through.

    I know our prayers get answered we see it all the time, He is an action GOD, sometimes He must show me afterward how He answered them but He is true to His word.

    We yield to His will prior to our prayers which takes the burdon from us and puts it into His hands and frees ours.

    Like I have said before The Closer I get to My Father the weaker I become without HIM, it’s oposite of the world’s view is and mone was, but I am Convinced HIS LOVE IS MY PURPOSE.

    Praise Christ Jesus My Lord for This oportunity by His sacrifice for me to hand out with my Daddy “YHWH”

    May all my siblings enjoy His presense in prayer today….
    Donna

    • Donna,
      I too have been upset with weakness that I never knew before. Not weakness that occurs when I am unprepared for a new condition in my life; it is due to a different inadequacy. Oh that it could be just an inkling of what Daniel experienced.
      Dan 10:8, 10:17

      • Donna,
        there is another weakness troubling me. My effort falls far short of labor for the lost.
        Jhn 4:32-38

        I feel that I take too many steps backward rather than forward. I myself am the blockage. I know commitment, I know labor and that I have not done enough. I cannot even call myself an unprofitable servant in that I fail to do all that I am commanded to do. I must rehearse that so much is made profitable with a heartwarming smile. I must make sure that Jesus is in me.
        Luk 17:10

  4. My family and I are in need of prayer. My mother fell and has four breaks of her pelvic bone. Her last fall about 1.5 yrs ago she broke her arm in two places and her hip and her condition has been steadily deteriorating. She has increasing dementia and this time, this time we can’t care for her at home.

    She’ll need to go to a skilled facility to re-coop. Hopefully within a few weeks she’ll be able to stand or lift her mid-section enough for us to care for her properly without causing her excruciating pain.

    I’ve been talking to God alot about our elderly. They were us yesterday and we are them tomorrow. It occurs to me that becoming weak while having lived a life of strength is God’s way of helping us lean completely on Him and His sufficiency.

    Getting old is not for sissy’s and I think it’s quite possible that it is a blessing from God to all of us in that we are not able to stand without Him. As we age the reality of dependence, weakness and need cries out in us. We think about our future in an eternal way. The wisdom of age helps us to know just who we really need.

    God has blessed me to be able to help care for my mother and soon I’ll be making daily skilled nursing facility visits. I pray that God will help me be pleasing in His sight and that I can share his love with these dear champions of yesterday and angels of tomorrow. I’ve taken to doing a new thing. I try to make God smile at least one time each day. Maybe I can see that smile from him on the human faces of our old folks.

    Our town is very small. One day I saw one of these nursing home residence making a great escape. She’d gotten about a block down the road in her Jazzy scooter and I watched as a staff member caught up with her. You had to admire the attempt and I couldn’t help rooting for her. I really wish now that I’d gone over and taken her for a long walk. I was working and on the clock but I really wish I’d have just clocked out and gone and done a better thing with my time. A bit of freedom for an afternoon. Maybe I can do that now with my mom and maybe even coax a couple more to let me help them make a great escape for an hour or so. After all, we’re all 20 something regardless of our earthly age.

    Please pray for relief from too much pain and for healing for my mom and pray that I will assist her in a manner pleasing to the God who died that we might live.

    I thank you for your prayers and BLB for the commitment to help us all grow deeper in right relationship with our Father, Abba.

    Tess

    • Time exists for those who die. Death mocks every human endeavor; it haunts our hopes and dreams. The human race is descriptive of our lives as well as our species. We run out of time. Await, daily, deadline, delay, expedite, holiday, hourly, imprison, legacy, leisure, memorial, procrastinate, reminisce, retire, rush, schedule, vacation, years, are a few of the words with us due to the adamant limitation of this physical existence. How very dear the loss of time becomes as life wanes for residents of this planet. Loss is the reality of the latter years of life. No amount of wealth can purchase an extension. Sorrow for the loss can overwhelm the staunchest control. Lifespan conforms and effects thought. Schools, written and digital media are time management structures that steer and prepare youth and the student’s emergence and also convey experiences to others; to transcend distance, eras and epochs. Institutions and devices assist the transfer and growth of knowledge for short lived humans who are nevertheless mired in time deprived conceptualization. Our calendars and schedules portray this human condition. Days are components of our limitation and shackles affecting the awareness of earthbound mortals. In this we begin to consider our own mortality. My mother cannot now be alone after a stroke 7 weeks ago.

      • It is for us to be used of God Who died to save His children. Note the multitudes that are dead, who have not accepted Jesus. Their only hope, this life, is extinguished at death.
        2Pe 3:9

        • I have prayed for years for my family yet they do not believe. My mother, or siblings have not opened my book that I left with her a year ago.
          Psa 49:4-20, 1Cr 9:19-23, Rev 7:17, 21:4

          • Bob

            A word in hope to encourage.

            Await in prayer His word, and take it.

            I have a similar battle for members of my wifes family and my own.
            Just yesterday while visiting Japan we were in warfare for her brother caught in in a false doctrine and under a deep rooted bondage of the enemy.

            In His throne room I took what God gave me, and awaited I hope what was His time to speak it. The rest is in His hand.

            Romans 9:15-16

            Our God is merciful. I will hold you and your family in my prayers.

            PS Psalms 49 is a favourite of mine put on my heart several years back by our Lord. Our prayers do count.

            A brother in Christ
            Mark H
            NZ.

          • In expressing our concerns we include brethren of like mind with our prayers in accordance with the will of God before His throne. Wow.

      • Bob~

        I am sorry to hear about your mom. I know how debilitating strokes can be, and it sounds like hers was pretty severe. You have already had to make many decisions for her care, but I will pray that God will continue to direct your steps and that her strength, mobility, coordination, speech, and mind will be restored according to God’s plan and purpose in her life. May God’s infinite love and peace be with each one of you.

        Yours in Christ~
        Barbara

        • Thank you Barb. We share the presence of our God; all who join in one mind before our Creator. Thanks be to our God and Savior, Jesus.

    • Tess~

      I was wondering why you hadn’t responded to my post, but now I understand. I don’t know how I missed your comments here. I’m very sorry to hear about your mom and will hold her and you and your family up in prayer for God’s comfort and wisdom, knowing, as you do, that our times our in His hands. She is a very blessed lady to have a daughter like you who understands the important matters in life and who understands that we must, even when difficult, arrange our lives to accommodate them. I pray that God will give you the strength in the inner man to meet each situation with faith and grace, receiving His provision according to His riches in glory.

      Yours in Christ~
      Barbara

      • Thank you so much Barbara and to everyone for their prayers. She was transferred to the Nursing Home much nearer to home and I’ve been able to go several times per day to visit and make sure she’s eating.

        She slips in and out of dementia and is still in quite alot of pain but each day will get easier and I know that God is always present and has her safely in the palm of His mighty hand. A dear friend goes each Sunday morning to visit at the nursing home and she adores him and I know several of the staff so God’s blessings are already raining down and I’ve met a few dear sweet elderly there who’s smiles are a comfort to my heart.

        🙂 Psalm 94:19

      • Hi Barbara,
        I began reading your comment to me from April 15th and did not finish. The tone was hurtful to me and I feel I can’t continue on that type of discourse.

        • Tess~

          Well, I can’t say I’m surprised. This time the tone is hurtful. Another time I was contentious. Another time I was harassing you. Another time I was inept. Another time I was torturing Scripture. Always the name calling, always the attacks, always the put downs but never the answer. When you can find anything I’ve written to you, in tone or words, that’s even remotely close to what you said about me on the April 3 blog (dated 5th and 6th), then your cry of “hurtful tone” won’t sound so silly.

          As I’ve said before, people who have the truth are willing and able to share it; you’ve done neither even though you agreed to do so. Certainly, if I’m wrong, which you insist that I am, you should have no trouble providing Scripture and reasoning to back it up, to dismantle my argument, and to provide one that is sound. I didn’t ask for anything difficult or unreasonable, just the meaning behind Jesus’ ten words in Matthew 24:13 and His one short phrase in Revelation 3:5.

          The truly sad thing, here, is not that you don’t know what the Word says on this topic but that you don’t care.

          Barbara

  5. I am always blessed reading Charles Spurgeon’s writings. However, today, the best blessings came from seeing Donna’s and Tess’ relationship with God. My own memories compare to your comments and remind me of sweet days gone by. Our God is so incredibly good–I can’t imagine a day without Him! To Tess, I’ve prayed for you and your mother and know by faith the desires of your heart have been answered by our loving Father!

    • Thank you so much Linda,
      My mother needs prayers very much. The 4 breaks in her pelvis have escalated into pneumonia, dehydration, d-fib that her pace maker is not handling and VERY low blood pressure (69/35). This sent her from the nursing home to the ER where it took 7 hrs in the ER before she finally got admitted about 1 am in the morning but our God is SO good. When we went back today she was alert and although in great pain she was at least able to communicate.

      Thank you so much for your comment. Your supportive kind voice after my long hard day put a smile on my face and God’s too I’d bet. :))