UNGLAMOROUS PRAYER
12th May 2021
We all love the dramatic, miracle answer to prayer. The moment of crisis - the powerful faith filled prayer - the instant miracle - the joy and thanksgiving. Then a wonderful testimony. But it’s not all like that.
My daily reading a couple of days ago was in 2 Corinthians 1 (NLT) and as I read verse 11, “And you are helping us by praying for us.” this really struck me. Paul knew that the believers in Corinth were committed to praying for him without any regular feedback. They didn’t have “smart phones” and so they didn’t know whether their prayers were being effective.
During this lockdown period we have been made aware of a number of situations that do not have quick fix answers. There are those going through cancer treatment, others have had sudden bereavement, and there are consequences of old age and the challenges they bring. We are praying for others with family crises and very difficult scenarios.
I realise when reading about prayer in the scriptures that it is mostly about consistency and keeping a position of faith. As we pray for these situations we are seeking to listen for words of scripture, prophetic words and pictures. It is not just a routine, it is active and dynamic praying, and we are seeing the answers.
In Luke 18:1 it says “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” He then tells the story of the persistent widow. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 it says, “Pray without ceasing.” I don’t believe it means long prayers, but being there for the long haul.
When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He gave them the words of what we call “The Lord’s Prayer” it was not something to bring instant results, but a prayer that brought the Kingdom of God into every area of life. We constantly pray, “Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
The prayer I am talking about requires consistency and stickability. We all know it is easy to forget, and let these long term needs slip out of our thinking and praying.
Remember - James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
by Charles Sibthorpe
