00B.10 Chapter 3--Men Ought Always To Pray--No. 1
III. "Men Ought Always to Pray"
No. 1 The following questions were sent to me by my good brother and erstwhile yokefellow, C. A. Buchanan, with the request that I answer him through the paper. He apologized for submitting these questions to me instead of Brother Hinds, who conducts the regular query department of this paper. He says that he desires that I answer them because he knows my views on these questions, and he wants me to set forth these views for the readers of the Gospel Advocate. I, too, believe that some teaching on these very vital questions would be appropriate now or at any other time, and I shall therefore make these questions the topic for two or three weeks’ editorials. But I shall first give a categorical answer to each question and then discuss the subject about which the questions are propounded in several of its ramifications. Read now the questions:
Do the Scriptures teach that God will give temporal blessings to his saints today in answer to prayer that they will not receive in the same measure without prayer through the operation of natural law?
Does the following passage apply since the days of miracles? "In nothing be anxious: but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." (Php 4:6.)
Does it do any good to pray for the recovery of the sick today?
Paul requested the Colossians (Colossians 4:3) to pray God to open unto them a door for the word. He requested others to pray that the word might run and be glorified. (2 Thessalonians 3:1-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12) Do such prayers in connection with gospel preaching today have any efficacy?
Is there an added power in united prayer?
Answering these in the order that they are given, let me say:
Yes, the Scriptures do teach that we receive temporal blessings in answer to prayer and because of a righteous life.
This passage applies now with the same force and in the same way that it did when it was written. There is no suggestion of a miracle in it. So far as the record shows, there was no one at Philippi who could work miracles. This letter was written to "all the saints in Christ Jesus that are at Philippi," and they were the same sort of ordinary human beings that we are; but they had faith in God, and therefore they obeyed and prayed. No one is a saint, or Christian, who does not do both.
It does the same good today to pray for the sick that it ever did in any other day, and in the same way. There is a vast difference in praying for the recovery of the sick and in healing the sick by miracle. If it does not "do any good" to pray for the sick, it does not do any good to pray for anything anywhere or at any time. If prayer does not bring any benefit or blessing that we cannot obtain ourselves without prayer or that would not come to us through the natural and mechanical processes of life without prayer to God, without trust in God, or even without a belief in the existence of God, then why should we ever pray? Even prayer in our public assemblies is crass mockery and open blasphemy, if that is our view. And what advantage does Christianity have over heathen religions, and in what way is Jehovah better than a dumb idol? How can anybody profess to believe the Bible and not believe in prayer?
There cannot be any real gospel preaching today unless such prayers are connected with it. Unless the preacher lives in vital touch with God, and therefore gives himself "continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:4), and unless the brethren associated with him are men of prayer, their efforts to preach the gospel will be a hollow mockery; an artificial thing; a counterfeit; a form without the power. Their preaching will be simply a partisan pleading for a creed, an effort to "defend" or establish a doctrine; a series of arguments to prove "our contention" or to "convince" people of the Scripturalness of "our position." It is proper and right for a preacher to smite with the sword of the Spirit; but any preacher who breaks the inspired sentence and takes the first part of it and rejects the last part, and therefore attempts to take the sword and leave off the prayer, deals more dishonestly with God’s word than the atheist who rejects it all outright. That preacher has no more God than does the atheist; he only has a theory or some ideas about God. His God is no more than "the great god Dagon"—a heathen idol or a tombstone in the cemetery. "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints, and on my behalf, that utterance may be given unto me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak." (Ephesians 6:17-20.) "Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run and be glorified, even as also it is with you; and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and evil men; for all have not faith." (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2.) "What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? Ministers through whom ye believed; and each as the Lord gave to him. I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase." (1 Corinthians 3:5-7.) The preacher—and all other Christians—should teach and persuade the sinful and the erring in all kindness and patience in the hope that ’God may give them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth. " (2 Timothy 2:25.)
Yes, there seems to be an added power in united prayer.
Having now given direct answer to these questions, it seems essential to give some general observations on prayer and then to discuss more fully questions No. 1, 3, and 5. As stated above, this will take us through three or four weeks. First, let us consider GOD’S SERVANTS AND PRAYER In Genesis 4:26 we read: "Then began men to call upon the name of Jehovah." We know that Abel and perhaps others had worshiped God before this time, but with the introduction of Enos it seems to be announced that men began regularly to call upon Jehovah, and his faithful servants walked with him. From that time on to the end of the inspired volume we find that all of God’s servants called upon his name. We never read of a servant of God in any age of the world who was not a man of prayer, whether the history of that servant is written by the inspired writers or by uninspired writers. In fact, it would be as great an anomaly to find a real servant of God who does not constantly pray unto God as it would be to find a fish that lives on dry land. No man can serve God acceptably or have any spiritual life who does not pray. Abel prayed, Enoch prayed, Noah prayed, Abraham prayed, Isaac and Jacob prayed, Moses prayed, Joshua prayed, David prayed. "Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice." (Psalms 55:17.) Daniel prayed. "And he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God." (Daniel 6:10.) Isaiah prayed. "But they that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint’." (Isaiah 40:31.)
Coming into the New Testament, we find that all the servants of God who are mentioned in that book were men of prayer. Our Lord Jesus Christ, notwithstanding the fact that he was sinless and divine and that he had the Spirit without measure, prayed always. He prayed both publicly and privately. He prayed long and earnestly. He prayed all night. He persisted in prayer—prayed the same petition over repeatedly. He taught his disciples to pray, and assured them that the heavenly Father would hear and answer their prayers. He illustrated this point by appealing to earthly fathers: "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"
He said that "men ought always to pray, and not to faint." He taught men to be importunate in prayer—to entreat—and to cry unto the Lord day and night. (Luke 18:1-8; Luke 11:8.) He said: "Every one that asketh receiveth." He taught his disciples to "watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." He thought that their prayers would in some way save them from temptation. He commanded them: "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest." (Matthew 9:38.) He thought their prayers would in some way increase the number of missionaries.
How can any man have any faith at all in Jesus Christ and not believe in prayer? To answer our own question, we must say that no one does. One may believe the truth about baptism and not believe in prayer, but one cannot believe in Jesus Christ and not believe in prayer. And it makes no difference how much truth a man believes, he cannot be saved unless he believes in the Author of truth.
Continuing our survey of the history of God’s servants, we find that the church was born in a prayer meeting. "And when they were come in, they went up into the upper chamber, where they were abiding; both Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. These all with one accord continued stedfastly in prayer, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren." And after it was filled with the Holy Spirit and thousands of converts had been made, we read that these newly made disciples "continued stedfastly in . . . the prayers." (Acts 2:42.) We should notice that they did not merely continue in prayer, but that they continued steadfastly in "the prayers," according to the Revised Version. "The prayers" meant the united prayers, the prayers of the disciples, hence the prayer meetings. They met together for prayers.
Peter. Peter was a man of prayer, and we find him going into the temple at the hour of prayer. He taught Christians that the Lord’s ears are open unto their prayers (1 Peter 3:12), and he exhorted them to live in such a way that their prayers would not be hindered (1 Peter 3:7). He admonished them to "be sober unto prayer" (1 Peter 4:7), and told them that God would give grace unto the humble (1 Peter 5:5).
Paul. No man in the whole New Testament, not excepting our Savior, ever said as much about prayer as did the apostle Paul, nor do we see any one personally practicing this teaching more consistently than did Paul. No other do we find as often in the act and attitude of prayer. And yet Paul was the most philosophical writer of all the inspired writers. He prayed for his disciples unceasingly and begged them to pray for him. In every Epistle that he wrote he told of his prayers for his friends, and enjoined upon those whom he addressed the duty and necessity of prayer, and requested them to pray for him. He desired that "the men pray in every place" (1 Timothy 2:8), and he exhorted them to pray for "all men" (1 Timothy 2:1). He thought the prayers of Christians for kings and rulers would help in governmental affairs and keep conditions favorable for Christian worship, living, and service. No inspired man ever intimated that a Christian might, by participating in political matters, bring about happy conditions, yet many good brethren think that is exactly the way to do it. But an inspired apostle emphatically taught that Christians can by their prayers achieve such conditions, and many good brethren act as if they do not believe a word of that. Paul thought that the prayers of Christians would deliver him out of the hands of unbelieving and wicked men. (Romans 15:30; 2 Thessalonians 3:2.) He believed their prayers would cause him to be released from prison. (Philemon 1:22.) He thought their prayers, though they were a thousand miles away, would have influence in causing the prejudiced Jewish brethren at Jerusalem to accept the money which he had collected among the Gentile Christians, and he entreated the brethren at Rome to strive with him in their prayers to God for him as he went to Jerusalem with this money. (Romans 15:30.) Paul prayed that wicked Israel might be saved. (Romans 10:1.) He thought that the prayers of God’s children would cause a door to be opened through which the gospel might enter. (Colossians 4:2-5.) He believed that because of and in answer to the prayers of Christians he would be given strength and courage and boldness in his preaching. (Ephesians 6:18-20.) Paul preached that God is living and present and powerful; that he sustains and strengthens and guides Christians, and also thwarts and overrules the antagonisms of evil men.
James. James was a man of prayer, and he comes nearer reasoning upon prayer and of trying to remove any doubts that Christians might have about prayer than any other writer of the New Testament. The others did not seem to recognize the fact that any such doubts could exist. James referred to Elijah and his prayers in urging disciples to pray, and he anticipated any suggestion that what was done in Elijah’s case was miraculous and answered it by saying that Elijah was "a man of like passions with us." He commanded the sick to pray and taught that others should pray for the sick. (A special article on this passage will be given in this series.) James taught that God would give a disciple wisdom in answer to prayer. (James 1:5-7.) He said that God’s children forfeited many blessings by not asking for them. (James 4:3.) He said that when they did pray their prayers were not answered, because they prayed amiss. He said: "The supplication of a righteous man availeth much." James taught that we should not plan to do anything or expect to receive anything, it matters not how much natural law is involved or how many human agencies are concerned, without recognizing that God is also involved and concerned, and that we might propose and God would dispose, and he therefore instructs us to say: "If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or thai." (James 4:15.) This same principle and spirit breathes through the whole New Testament.
John. John, "the apostle of love," was also an apostle of prayer. He taught Christians to confess their sins to God and to pray for forgiveness. (1 John 1:5-9.) He taught them to pray for a brother who sins. (1 John 5:16.) He showed what would cause a man to be unbelieving and timid about prayer. Hear him: "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God; and whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight." (1 John 3:21-22.) He showed his own great faith and boldness in prayer in this language: "And this is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: and if we know that he heareth us whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him." (1 John 5:14-15.)
Finally, we see through the visions of the apocalypse the elders and beings of the celestial world falling down before our God and shouting praises to his name, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty." (Revelation 4:8.) And we hear the souls of the beheaded saints pleading in prayer. (Revelation 6:9.) And the inspired volume closes with the fervent prayer of an inspired man: "Amen: come, Lord Jesus." In view of all this teaching, what shall we say of a man who claims to "speak where the Bible speaks" and to "be silent where the Bible is silent," or who has the audacity to profess to have any regard for the Bible, or to contend for any doctrine, point, or principle taught in the Bible, but who does not believe in prayer, does not pray personally about all his affairs in health and in sickness, does not join with other Christians in prayer and in prayer meetings at every opportunity; who sneers at praying for temporal blessings, at praying for the sick, at praying for the preacher, for the church, for the missionaries, etc.? What shall we say of such a man? We should say that he has no more chance of going to heaven than the rankest atheist in Russia, and that he is a greater hindrance to Christianity than any unbeliever outside of the church in the whole world.