12/16/2022
I read a discussion of prayer in which the author was talking about powerful prayers, and he proposed that for a person to be able to pray powerfully that it took work, and much practice to perfect. He went on to say that the more a person prayed the better they became at it. Well it is good to pray without ceasing, or for our prayers to at least be habitual, but the unrehearsed prayer of a child carries as much weight and power in it as the most ornate prayer of a robed pastor, the humble prayer of a priest, or even the expectant prayers of a prophet. The power of prayer rests in our righteousness, sincerity, and relationship with the Lord as we open our hearts to Him, and is not in our oration, diction, nor the perfection of our deliverance.
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
James 5:16 ESV
The power of a prayer is found in the heart and righteousness of the one who prays it, not in the eloquent construction of the thought, the length of it, or the flowing words by which it is delivered. The shortest prayer in the Bible comes from Peter as he is walking on the water to Jesus; listen to its simplicity, and feel the power of it as he expresses his faith in Jesus’ ability to save him…
“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.””
Matthew 14:30 ESV
Have we ever prayed such prayers? Peter’s prayer consisted of three short words, and we heard Jesus pray similarly to His Father when from the cross he said “It is done!” You see, it isn’t a prayer’s ornate construction, nor its length, but rather its depth that reveals its power. Haven’t there been times when we prayed an entire volume in a single word? Martin Luther realized the nature and power of prayer when he wrote…
“The fewer the words the better the prayer.” - Martin Luther
When faced with a sudden occurrence such as an oncoming vehicle that swerves into our lane and is about to hit us head-on, or when our child is about to be seriously hurt, do we hear ourselves pray a single word? What is our powerful prayer in a moment such as this? Is it the name “Jesus!” or “Lord!” that we are able to utter? Yes, in that split second there is power that bursts forth from the name Jesus, but there is also an infinite expression of our heart and soul that rushes from deep within us in that blink of an eye, that moment of desperation, that sudden flash of light. Doesn’t time stand still as we call out His name? Or, perhaps time ceases to exist altogether as our heart leaps towards heaven and the Holy Spirit joins us there in a glimpse into eternity as he groans a prayer of intercession for us?
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
Romans 8:26-27 ESV
So, hoe many righteous people are put-off from praying with others because they don’t feel they are as eloquent as those around them? Has our own voice been stifled in this way? Have we been encouraged to pray from our heart and soul, or have we been made to believe that true power only comes from the intellectual prayers of our mind? Well, all prayer is good, and powerful, and none are prayed that our Father doesn’t hear them, and know us through them. The power is never in the prayer, but always flows from God who hears our heart’s desire, and feels us as we lean into His arms.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for allowing us to pray, and for the power that pours out from you as we do. Hear now the desires of our hearts, and the name of Jesus as we reach out to you. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who hears the prayers of children and intellectuals alike… and we each ask that you hear ours now. Great are you who stops time so that we might join you in heaven as our spirits moan, or intellects wax poetic, and as our children ask you to “bless mommy and daddy” from their bedsides. Hear each of us in our own way as we kneel before you today and ask to experience your amazing power in this, our eternal conversation with you.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray…
Rich Forbes