"Lighting the Fire"
Jotting – Week 9

The Why, Where, and When of Prayer

Prayer comes as naturally to Christians as breathing. Even Saul, after meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, prayed before he was baptized (see Acts 9:11). Jesus was in constant communication with His heavenly Father. Peter says in his first letter, chapter 2: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (9, 10).

There are so many reasons for prayer, not the least of which is this, spoken by Jesus: “In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God” (John 16:26-27, emphasis added).

We pray because we are God’s children, and children speak to their parents. If we care about our own children, how much more God cares for us! Jesus spoke to the people in His day–and to us: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11)

God wants to hear us pray! He waits as eagerly as the waiting father in Luke 15:11-32. Jesus said, “Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8). His Spirit even speaks for us when our need is so great we have no idea what to pray for or how to pray: “The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26). Jesus Himself prayed for us. Read His prayer in John 17.

Where we pray comes from why we pray. Jesus warned His disciples about praying in order to be seen and praised by others, for the Pharisees chose places such as the synogogues and street corner (and they had their reward). It must have been a sight to see, these learned men from the temple, letting their voices soar upward, giving the appearance of holiness and purity. Yet Jesus called them “a brood of vipers” (Matthew 3:7) and “whitewashed tombs” (Matthew 23:27), beautiful on the outside, dead on the inside.

Jesus suggests for prayer a quiet place, a place apart, a hidden, secret room behind a closed door: “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matthew 6:6).

But prayer can also be in the midst or in the sight of others. Jesus asked His disciples to watch as He prayed in Gethsemane, at the time He was most vulnerable to temptation, during His agonizing struggle with the forces of evil. Jesus knew that in watching, the three who had witnessed His transfiguration would now see that though temptation come at full force, Jesus would win the ultimate victory over it. And yet it was not for His own need that Jesus wanted His friends to be in prayer. He knew they needed it also: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41). We know what happened there!

Jesus also says, “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:19, 20). When Peter was in prison, constant prayer by the church was offered up by those gathered for that purpose (read Acts 12 for the whole story–and to discover what prayer brought about).

Paul often asked others to pray for him, as he prayed for them. James tells us, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (5:26).

When we pray can be at any time. God is omniscient–all powerful. He is omnipresent–present everywhere. “He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:3, 4). God does not sleep. He hears all His children’s prayers from wherever they are said, whenever they are spoken.

God hears the cry of the new Christian, He hears the sighs of the old.
He listens for the groan of repentance, the turning back to the fold.
God watches with breath held – just waiting, for the son or the daughter to see
That His love is forever and always, His riches and goodness are free.
In the strong name of Jesus we ask Him; in Jesus we find we can come
To the throne of the Father for mercy, for joy that we’ve found our home.

Pray: Lord, You have taught us to pray. Show us how to empty ourselves to You, knowing You will fill us up. Show us how to lift others to You, knowing You will carry them in Your loving arms. Show us how to ask for what we need, knowing that You have everything ready to give us in richness and grace. Open our eyes, Lord, to what You have already given. Open our ears to listen for Your answers. Open our hearts to receive Your loving kindness. Open our mouths to speak Your praise so others may hear of You and believe. Open our hands for service to others in Your name. Amen.