Serious Praying
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision. In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.”
Daniel 10:1–3
If we are honest, we must admit that a vast majority of the prayers offered, both in our churches and in private are surface prayers. They follow the accepted forms and use the language to which we have grown accustomed, but there is little fervent intensity in praying. We are greatly blessed, especially here in America, with both more freedom than Christians have enjoyed through the centuries and more material blessings. As a result, we sometimes fail to depend on God and become self-reliant. This has a definite impact on the way we pray.
If we recognized that even with prosperity and freedom abounding we are still utterly reliant on His help for every part of life, our prayers would change. Rather than casually going down a prayer list, we would pour out hearts to God, pleading for His help and asking Him to work in and through our lives in a mighty way. That kind of praying doesn’t just change us—it changes everything around us. “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).
We have been given access to a resource beyond human limits or even human understanding. God’s power and resources have been offered to us to do His work if we will but ask for them. Yet too often we do not pray seriously.
Daniel 10:1–3
If we are honest, we must admit that a vast majority of the prayers offered, both in our churches and in private are surface prayers. They follow the accepted forms and use the language to which we have grown accustomed, but there is little fervent intensity in praying. We are greatly blessed, especially here in America, with both more freedom than Christians have enjoyed through the centuries and more material blessings. As a result, we sometimes fail to depend on God and become self-reliant. This has a definite impact on the way we pray.
If we recognized that even with prosperity and freedom abounding we are still utterly reliant on His help for every part of life, our prayers would change. Rather than casually going down a prayer list, we would pour out hearts to God, pleading for His help and asking Him to work in and through our lives in a mighty way. That kind of praying doesn’t just change us—it changes everything around us. “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).
We have been given access to a resource beyond human limits or even human understanding. God’s power and resources have been offered to us to do His work if we will but ask for them. Yet too often we do not pray seriously.
Today’s Growth Principle:
The more seriously we regard and practice prayer, the more powerfully we see God work.
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