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Privilege of Private Prayer
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Prayer is such a
privilege, such an exalted advantage. It implies connection to
the Almighty, an adjoining to our Creator. What joy to pray
and know we will be heard. What unspeakable joy! “And
this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if ye ask
anything according to His will, He heareth us” (I John
5:15). I doubt there could be a better or more blessed
assurance than to know that God not only knows who we are, but
hears what we say.
I was thinking awhile back about how we can pray the simplest
of prayers, prayers that are not intended to be heard of
anybody but our Father, and know that we have come into His
presence. Is that not wonderful, and does it not embolden our
faith and enliven our hope, to know that He not only hears,
but cares what we are saying and will grant what we wish
according to His will?
It seems to me that simple prayers are the best. No
flamboyance, no pretense, no seeking to be heard by anyone but
our Father. He needs no assurance of our ability to articulate
great phrases and employ educated terminology. He just wants a
prayer that comes from the heart, one that is open, honest,
without admixture or pretense. “I will pray with the
spirit and I will pray with the understanding” (I
Corinthians 14:15) means more than just praying with a good
attitude and with the truth. It means that I reach down into
the innermost parts of who and what I am, then reach up in
adorning reverence for the approval of God, the Almighty. It
means that I use that lasting part of me which He gave
me–that eternal spirit– to give back to him my filial
devotion and unfettered worship.
Simple prayer is very personal, too. It is intimate, a private
time reserved for you to make grand affirmations and glorious
praises to God without any interference or intrusion. It is a
time between just you and your Father, and, in my opinion at
least, is a privilege superior because it involves the two of
you in the most private of conversations, one where there is
no facade, no dressing up or down, just plain, purely personal
talking between two who love one another.
Prayer deals with the heart. Without heart-involvement, there
is no such thing as prayer–it becomes empty verbiage, vain
talking devoid of any significance, a conversation without
substance or marrow. To “pray with the spirit” is
to give heart-felt devotion, punctuated with words of
adulation and praise. No other kind is acceptable. In fact, no
other kind is prayer.
Here are three simple prayers, prayers you can pray too,
methinks.
“Lord, give me a clean heart.” “Create in
me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me”
(Psalm 51: 10) is a noble and honorable prayer. It suggests,
first of all, that this kind of heart must be created; that
is, only God can forgive sin and thereby create a new heart,
one cleansed of unrighteousness and impure living. A clean
heart is a heart forgiven. A prayer for a clean heart also
suggests, by implication, that one is looking not only to have
that clean heart, but to maintain its cleanliness, to exercise
the most careful vigilance to keep it from the world and its
tarnishments. A clean life can only come from a clean heart;
and a clean heart can only come from God, the Father. ‘Tis a
prayer worth repeating!
“Lord, give me a clear heart.” I use the word
“clear” here to depict an understanding heart. “The
heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge”
(Prov. 15:14). This prayer for clear perception is purely
practical, for it tends toward making wise decisions and
choosing good ways to go. This clear heart understands what is
vital, what is imperative, what is necessary. It
differentiates between the carnal world and God’s eternal
design for mankind. It sees life as a probation and looks past
this partiality to the real and complete life, the one for
which Christ died. This prayer is pragmatic, immensely
practical.
“Lord, give me an open heart.” “The
entrance to thy words giveth light, it giveth understanding to
the simple” (Psalm 119: 130). A heart that is open can
receive the words of light when they come. It is not so with
the closed one. A closed heart is a prejudiced heart, one that
has been shut up with its own presuppositions, one that is not
disposed to any sort of intrusion from any source.
Prejudice–the shut up heart–is the bane of our society. It
keeps out the truth and closes the doors true knowledge. It
takes various forms, ranging from sheer ignorance to high
intellectualism. It is not only acceptable among the
intellectuals, but to such an extent that snarling rebukes
come to those who would dare question their “wisdom.” An
open heart, on the other hand, is a heart disposed to look for
truth, no matter its source, to revere and respect it, even
when it indicts or accuses–and especially when it offers
spiritual correction. The open mind is a mind acclimated to
truth and tuned to verity.
Prayer. What a blessed privilege. What an exalted pleasure.
What a tremendous asset to the Christian. Let us pray.
Dee Bowman
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Copyright (C)
2009 Folsom Point Church of Christ
All rights reserved.
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