Prayer
is a mystery; and after we have considered a few questions on the subject I
believe we will appreciate even more the mysterious character that surrounds
prayer—for these are questions quite difficult to answer. Yet this observation
is not meant to suggest that the mystery of prayer is incomprehensible or that the
various problems concerning prayer are inexplicable. It is merely indicative of
the fact that few people really know very much about them. In view of this, few
are truly able to accomplish much for God in prayer. The power of prayer lies
not in how much we pray but in how much our prayers are in accordance with the
principle of prayer. Only prayers of this kind are of true value.
The
foremost question to be asked is, Why pray? What is the use of praying? Is not
God omniscient as well as omnipotent? Why must He wait till we pray before He
commences to work? Since He knows, why must we tell Him everything (Phil. 4.6)?
Being almighty, why does God not work directly? Why should He need our prayers?
Why is it that only those who ask are given, only those who seek find, and only
those who knock enter in (Matt. 7.7)? Why does God say: “Ye have not, because
ye ask not” (James 4.2)
Upon
asking the above questions we must then continue to inquire as follows: Is
prayer contrary to the will of God? What is the relationship between prayer and
righteousness?
We
know God never does anything against His own will. If opening doors is God’s
will, why should He wait until we knock before He opens? Why does He not simply
open for us according to His own will without requiring us to knock? Being
omniscient, God knows we need to have doors opened; why, then, must He wait for
our knocking before He opens? If the door is to be opened and if opening doors
is in accordance with God’s will, and if furthermore He also knows that we need
it to be opened, why does He wait for us to knock? Why does He not just open
the door? What advantage does our knocking give to God?
Yet
we must further ask these questions: Since God’s will is to open the door and
since opening the door is in accord with righteousness, will God nevertheless
open the door if we do not knock? Or would He
rather have His will and righteousness delayed without accomplishment in order
to wait for our prayers? Will He really allow His will of opening doors to be
restrained by our not knocking?
If
so, will not the will of God be limited by us? Is God really almighty? If He is
almighty, why can He not open the door all by himself—why instead must He wait
till we knock? Is God really able to accomplish His own will? But if He truly
is able, then why is His opening of doors (God’s will) governed by our knocking
(man’s prayer)?
By
asking all these questions we come to realize that prayer is a
great mystery. For here we see a principle of God’s working, which is, that
God’s people must pray before God himself will rise up and work: His will is
only to be realized through the prayers of those who belong to Him: the prayers
of the believers are to accomplish His will: God will not fulfill His will
alone—He will perform only after His people show their sympathy in prayers. (Continue reading...)
