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‘THE world just seems to be going mad,’ said my wife as we watched the TV news. Two headlines about war zones; a democracy being suspended and martial law introduced; devastated parents whose babies had been murdered in a hospital; the collapse of a once-stable government. All matters over which we had no control and which seemed beyond our influence. Add to those global issues all the personal challenges around us – unexpected illness, mental health difficulties, debt, redundancy, financial insecurity, family conflicts, plus a myriad other things – and it becomes easy to feel that everything is out of control.

It is for this very reason that we, as disciples of Jesus, pray. Prayer is the medium by which God’s people step into the impossible and call on God for intervention and help. While Jeremiah was seeking the Lord for the seemingly helpless situation that his people found themselves in, the Lord confronted him with the verse above. Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Jack Hayford, a Pentecostal minister and composer of the worship song ‘Majesty’, also authored a book entitled Prayer is Invading the Impossible. This will be our central theme as we look again at the discipline and blessing of prayer. When we pray, we hand over to God the things beyond our ability to change, and ask for him to do what only he can do.

James 4:2 confronts us with the words: ‘You do not have because you do not ask God.’ As we commence this study, let us resolve to use the tools given to us by God and utilise prayer to make the impossible possible. As God’s people, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain by re-energising our life of prayer.

REFLECT

What hard things should I hand over to the Lord today?

THE expectation upon every disciple of Jesus is that we pray. Not just when things are particularly tough or when we can see no natural solution, but regularly and consistently. Prayer is not just for the theologically trained, the regular churchgoer nor even the desperate undecided – it’s for us all.

Anyone can do it, and many of us do so regularly. It’s the ideal opportunity to find engagement with our Saviour, to talk to and listen to him. Certainly, we don’t need to be perceived to be good at it. We just get on and give it an honest try. God is more than happy to hear our faltering petitions, and just as able to answer these as the most eloquent of prayers that we sometimes hear other people pray.

Prayer really only has one essential requirement – honesty. We talk with God about the realities of our lives, the good, the bad and the ugly. And when we don’t know what to say, the Spirit intercedes for us (Romans 8:26).

God loves it when we go somewhere private and spend time in his presence, reading his Word and seeking his input into our lives. When we withdraw privately to pray, we can go openly and honestly into his great love, and savour his presence.

When we try to live life our way, according to our rules and fancies, we discover that we are just fallible. When we admit that our own efforts are insufficient, and bring our lives to God in prayer, we discover a goldmine of resources that he brings to us.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance, When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,

When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.
— Annie Johnson Flint (SASB 30 v 2)

OF all the parables Jesus told, this is one of the best known. It’s the story of human life. Since time began, people have had a history of moving away from God and living life their own way. But when the realisation dawns that our lives are in a state of spiritual poverty, we begin to make our way back to our heavenly Father, and he is poised, looking and waiting for a sign of our return, and he runs towards us as we step towards him. 

We try to say, ‘Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your child’, but he interrupts us with his joy at our homecoming. Our rags are exchanged for robes and slippers, and we are given the sign of belonging. Each of us is that prodigal, whether we are the ones who left and went far away, or, like the elder brother, those who stayed but were still prodigal in our thinking and actions. Both sons are treated the same. One is given the symbols of sonship, and to the other the father says, ‘everything I have is yours’ (v 31), but both are invited to share the celebration of being reunited. 

It is absolutely right that we recognise and articulate our sorrow and repentance to the Lord – ‘Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death’ (2 Corinthians 7:10). Salvation is ours and we can approach our heavenly Father with confidence of his acceptance of both us and our prayers. Worthiness is not for us to determine – we are always unworthy approaching an omnipotent God – but worth is gifted to us at salvation. It is always unearned and undeserved, but it’s ours nevertheless.

In royal robes I don’t deserve,
I live to serve your majesty.
— Jarrod Cooper (SASB 376 chorus)

HEBREW boys usually had at least a measure of education, but unless they were amongst the best students, they tended to drop out from school and return to their parents’ business at some point. But all good Jewish boys knew how to pray.

Prayer was part of temple life. The disciples had grown up with it. Despite this, when they had followed Jesus for a while, they came and asked to be taught how to pray as he did. John the Baptist had instructed his followers and Jesus’ followers wanted him to help them. Clearly, Jesus’ approach to prayer was a marked contrast from the teachers of the law and Jewish leaders at the temple. Something of the authenticity they found in Jesus called from deep within their souls, and they wanted more of it.

In response, Jesus avoided teaching contemplation or meditation – he didn’t advocate ritual. He simply showed them that prayer was engaging intelligently but simply with his Father in Heaven. He taught them that their prayers could make the impossible possible.

Invading the impossible with prayer was to be an ongoing lesson for these first followers, as it is for us. Sometimes they excelled and got it just right, but on other occasions they failed miserably. However, under Jesus’ guidance they gradually learnt their lessons and became potent godly men who could call on God in every situation they faced.

We have that same opportunity to learn. No matter how long we have been disciples, no matter where we stand in our prayer life, there is more for us to learn – and who better to learn from?

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, as the disciples came to you, so do I. Lord teach me how to pray. Show me how my prayers can make the impossible possible. Amen.

PRAYER, for most Christians, is about both inspiration and discipline. In moments of closeness, we derive significant inspiration from our times of prayer, but very few of us find that this is always the way. Most disciples of Jesus recognise that there is a large element of discipline involved in drawing near to God. It has to be a conscious effort to draw close. Just using this collection of daily readings demonstrates an element of discipline in the area of spiritual development, but drawing close to God requires that we go deeper still. It’s so much more than merely going through the motions. It has to be an act of our will. 

However, we are assisted by the assurance of faith. Time and again through Scripture, God reminds his people that he is listening for their prayers, and is attentive to them. The experience of countless Christians through the centuries has been that when faith is added to prayer, something happens, even if the ‘something’ is not the answer to prayer that we have been yearning for. When we draw close to God, he moves us even if he doesn’t move the mountain in front of us... And moving us is, on occasions, the harder challenge. 

Our prayers must be more than perfunctory; they must be more than a mere shopping list; they must go deeper than a recited verse. God calls for us to be honest in our frustrations and disappointments, to be earnest in our longings and to be faithful in our praise. Let us draw near today, and seek to know the heart of God and the mind of Christ.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, as I pray now will you draw me near to you, so that I learn what is on your heart for me? Amen.