01/11/2024
This morning our devotional message deals with fervent prayer, and the strength it takes to pray in this way. Children pray with an amazing degree of faithfulness, innocence, and trust which seems to flow so easily from them, but adults strain and groan in their prayer closets as they bring the challenges of their lives before the Lord, and wrestle with fear and trembling over their faith and salvation.
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
Philippians 2:12-13 ESV
"While children should be taught to pray early on, praying is no child's task. Prayer draws upon the whole nature of man - body, soul, and spirit." – E.M. Bounds
To make his point regarding the intensity of our prayers Bounds then calls on Hebrews 5 which speaks of Jesus praying in the garden. This prayer is one of great intensity and was physically demanding. Listen to this passage which describes Jesus crying and shedding tears as He prayed:
“Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;”
Hebrews 5:7-9 KJV
During this time of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed with such great intensity that his sweat became blood and fell to the ground (Hematohidrosis). No, this isn't the prayer of a child. This is the prayer of a full grown man of God who quaked, trembled, and strained in His prayers.
“And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Luke 22:44 KJV
Though there is great power in the faithful prayers of children, there comes a time when those childhood prayers are meant to mature and become the full prayers of grown men and women. These adult prayers require a heightened sense of intensity and resolve that flows from a fullness of faith which has been hard won by struggling against their fallen nature, and living lives in a likewise fallen world. However, the prayers of those new in Christ are often like those of babes, but with nurturing they too will increase. We who are more mature in our faith should foster these children in Christ as they grow taller in prayer.
But like we see in Jesus, not all prayer requires the intensity of Gethsemane. God hears all of our desires and acts upon them accordingly... Even the prayers of children that we pray… Perhaps we could even say... especially the prayers of children. My spiritual mentor once asked me an interesting question. He asked that if he were ever ill if I would for bring children to his bedside to pray for him.
I have thought often about what the significance was of having children come to pray for him was. I concluded that the prayers of a child are humble, pure, and innocent... and that they hide little while speaking with an open heart and that perhaps their prayers would help him revisit that part of who he was. This brings to mind a passage of scripture that I love to quote in which Jesus says:
“And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.”
Matthew 18:3-5 KJV
So as adults and mature men and women of Faith there will be times when our prayers will necessarily be full of tears and sweat, but there will also be occasions when we must come before God like children in our prayers. Not all conversations are the same; some are dire in their content while others are full of things such as thanksgiving, joy, praise, petitions for protection, love, and yes, a child’s helping of faith.
The Garden of Gethsemane was a time and place for the intense prayers of Jesus, a mature man of faith. Yet when He answered the question "Lord, teach us to pray" this was the time for a prayer of quite another emotional intensity. Knowing which is appropriate for the circumstances and needs in our lives, and our relationship with the Lord, is fluid and much like the conversations we have had with our earthly mothers and fathers... they reflect our honest and humble circumstances. So although we don’t identify prayer as being child's play... I think that sometimes it is.
How are we praying today? Are we trembling and surrounded by a pool of sweat as we pray, or are we offering up our prayers with the innocence and expectation of a child? There is a time and place for every prayer, and a perfect sense of fervency required to properly communicate what we are feeling… how are we praying today?
Prayer,
Abba, I thank you for being my Heavenly Father, and receiving my prayers each day. I thank you for hearing both the mature prayers I pray as a Christian man, and those I pray with the heart of a little child. As I pray from bended knee, from my prayer chair, or prostrate before you, I ask that your Holy Spirit guide me in the intensity of emotion, and character of each and every prayer. Hear the delight as I kneel by my bed and say “now I lay me down to sleep”, and hear the trepidation in my voice as I pray “if you are willing, remove this cup from me”. Help me Father to pray as I ought in every circumstance so that on the day of judgement I might enter your kingdom as a child, and when you send out your armies against the dark one I will be fearsome in my faith, and have the strength of a mature son as I stand tall beneath your banner in battle. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you my God, my Father, and my Abba. You are my all in all, and love me throughout my ages of life, of faith, and of prayer. In my unceasing prayer I find you with me always, and in every way and manner, you bless me. Great are you throughout eternity, and I give all the glory of every answered prayer to you… big or small, innocent or full of fear, and expectant or quaking in my self-doubt. Your Word is true, and whether I call you Abba, Father, Lord, or God, I hold it firm in my heart and mind through all my days of prayer unto you.
Rich Forbes