Robert F. Turner
A Christian prays--- and prays--- and prays. But many church members
scarcely know the meaning of the word once they leave the church building
and the stilted "audience conscious" phrases that pass for prayer
there. "Pray without ceasing;" (1 Thes.5:17) makes no apparent
impression.
It is a tragedy that God is considered so inaccessible. To many He is
far away, locked in an inner office; with an alert guard of clergymen,
forms and format to protect Him from the "ordinary" caller. The
idea is wholly foreign to the truth.
"Enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray
to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret
shall reward thee openly." (Matt. 6:6) Thus Jesus describes the close
intimate relation that exists between the petitioner and his Creator. This
does not negate public prayer (the contrast is with hypocritical show-offs);
in fact this touches the vitals of all acceptable prayer.
When intimate communion with God is missing, public prayer becomes a farce.
Prayer is a Christian's privilege; made real and earnest-- meaningful--
because a Christian (and only a Christian) truly appreciates such characteristics
of God as the following.
GOD IS NEAR! He is "not far from every one of us; for in
Him we live, and move, and have our being." (Acts 17:27-28) A Christian
lives close to God. His Maker is ever-present, all-about ; ready to be
contacted upon a moment's notice. This nearness comforts the Christian--
"in the valley of the shadow.. thou art with me."
GOD CARES! The Christian casts all his cares upon God, "for
He careth for you." (1 Pet. 5:7) Our Father is concerned-- His interest
is genuine. He who takes note of the sparrow's fall, watched over all His
children.
GOD HEARS! His eyes "are over the righteous, and His ears
are open to their prayers." (1 Pet. 3:12) "All things are naked
and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." (Heb. 4:13b)
And hearing, He understands our frailties-- "the feeling of
our infirmities." (Heb. 4:15-16) so we may come boldly to the throne
of grace for mercy.
AND GOD GIVES! "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and
ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." (Matt. 7:7-f)
ASK! SEEK! KNOCK! These are imperatives, in the Greek present tense. They
say, "Ask" and keep on asking; "seek" and continue
to seek; "knock" again and again. The thought
is akin to Matt. 6:33-- "seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His
righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
A Christian believes that God is near, that God cares, that God hears,
and that God gives. Hi is conscious of his dependence upon God, and leans
upon Him without hesitation. So he prays; when he awakes-- as he goes to
work-- when he partakes of God's rich blessings-- when he feels the weight
of sorrow and cares-- as he lays him down to sleep. A Christian prays;
and what about you??
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