Praying That Is Praying
To pray effectively, we must be willing to pray without conditions, surrendering to God's will and trusting in His goodness.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the power of unconditional prayer as exemplified by Juliana of Norwich, who boldly asked her Savior for what she desired without any conditions. This approach allowed God to respond fully to her requests, as she was willing to pay any price for what was good for her soul and glorifying to God. Tozer warns that many believers hinder their prayers by being overly cautious and placing limits on what they are willing to accept from God, thus making it difficult for Him to answer. True prayer, he argues, requires a willingness to embrace radical changes and a complete trust in God's will. The essence of real praying lies in the courage to ask without reservations.
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Juliana of Norwich at the beginning of her wonderful Christian life addressed a prayer to her Savior and then added the wise words, "And this I ask without any condition."
It was that last sentence that gave power to the rest of her prayer and brought the answer in mighty poured-out floods as the years went by. God could answer her prayer because He did not need to mince matters with her. She did not hedge her prayers around with disclaimers and provisos. She wanted certain things from God at any cost. God, as it were, had only to send her the bill. She would pay any price to get what she conceived to be good for her soul and glorifying to her Heavenly Father. That is real praying.
Many of us spoil our prayers by being too "dainty" with the Lord (as some old writer called it). We ask with the tacit understanding that the cost must be reasonable. After all, there is a limit to everything, and we do not want to be fanatical! We want the answer to be something added, not something taken away. We want nothing radical or out of the ordinary, and we want God to accommodate us at our convenience. Thus we attach a rider to every prayer, making it impossible for God to answer it.
Sermon Outline
- The Power of Unconditional Prayer
- The Dangers of Conditional Prayer
- The Key to Effective Prayer
- Praying Without Conditions
- The Importance of Radical Surrender
Key Quotes
“And this I ask without any condition.” — A.W. Tozer
“God could answer her prayer because He did not need to mince matters with her.” — A.W. Tozer
“She wanted certain things from God at any cost.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must be willing to pay any price to get what we conceive to be good for our soul and glorifying to our Heavenly Father.
- We must let go of our expectations and trust in God's sovereignty.
- We must pray without conditions, surrendering to God's will and trusting in His goodness.