Thoughts for Life: #30 Prayer and Supplication

Samuel Chadwick: There is a group of words that greatly enlarge the scope of asking and modify the impression of ease and simplicity of prayer.

The man at midnight was prepared to make supplication and entreat with importunity till his request was granted. Google image, Vibrant prayer)

That is not much like praying to a heavenly Father. God is not like that, but praying that prevails is like that.

The same is true of the parable of the unjust judge. God is not like him, but prayer pleads and persists until it prevails. Petition asks, supplication entreats, pleading argues.

Job asks for an opportunity to plead his cause:

"Oh that I knew where I might find him, that I might
come even to His seat! I would order my cause before
Him, and fill my mouth with arguments. I would know
the words which He would answer me, and understand
what He would say unto me"(Job 23: 3-5).

God invites to reason, and prayer is given the right to plead, but if God be Father, knowing what we need, waiting to be asked, why should there be supplication and pleading?

Striving and Wrestling

When Peter was in prison "prayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto God for him" (Acts 12:5). The Revised Version substitutes "earnestly" for "without ceasing." They continued earnestly in prayer.

They prayed all night, and kept on praying until the answer came. There was the same contending in the prayer of the Syro-Phoenician woman. She came to grips and held on until Jesus commended her faith and granted her request.

Striving is a family word in the New Testament. St. Paul exhorts the Christians in Rome "by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me" (Rom. 15:30).

He commends Epaphras as a praying pastor who strove and labored in prayer (Co. 4:12), and tells the Colossians how greatly he himself strove for them. Prayer is work that involves contending, a toil that implies labor; but why should it be a toil and a labor?

Even the idea of wrestling is associated with prayer. It is not suggested that we wrestle with God, but there is a grip and grappling that calls for vigilance and concentration. It is quite clear that prayer is not the easy thing that seems to be implied in the simplicity of asking our heavenly Father for what we want and getting it.

There is travail in it. There is work in it. There is entreaty in it. There is importunity in it. Maybe Coleridge was not far wrong when he spoke of prayer as the highest energy of which the human heart is capable and the greatest achievement of the Christian's warfare on earth.

The Paradox of Prayer

Prayer is full of apparent contradictions. It is so simple that a child can pray, and it is so profound that the wisest cannot explain its mystery. It is so easy that those who have no strength can pray, and it is so strenuous that it taxes every resource of energy, intelligence, and power.

It is so natural that it need not be taught, and it is so far beyond nature that it cannot be learned in the school of this world's wisdom. Prayer is a world in itself, and no one aspect of life's similes can explain it.

The relation of Father and child has bigger meanings in revealed truth than in our modern conception. Jesus spoke of Him as the heavenly, the holy, and the righteous Father. St Peter combined in Him both Father and Judge.

The modern mind resents prayer that is an agony and entreaty, a pleading and striving, a wrestling and persistence. That is not the way parents would like to see their children come to them, and so they reason it is not the way for them to pray.

Is God at the counter waiting to hand over whatever we ask?Experience soon disillusions those who think that is the whole of prayer. If that were all, why should there be a secret place and a closed door? {Be sure to read the next post, #31 The Cost of Prayer}

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THE PATH OF PRAYER
By Samuel Chadwick
(Click on the title to buy)

Used by the permission of

www.cliffcollege.ac.uk
(Emphasis added)

Let's pray-

Father, we see that the judge and the man's friend's denial prompted supplication and entreating until the requests were granted.

You are not like those who on purpose deny requests, unless there's a better solution in view for them.

Like Job, we're to plead and persist until we prevail in our petitions, entreating and pleading arguments when there's a need of a great importance to us.
Paul tells the Colossians how greatly he strove for them in prayer. Prayer involves contending, a toil that implies labor. We see the idea of wrestling associated with prayer.
We're not to wrestle with You, but are to come to grips with needs that call for vigilance and concentration. It's quite clear that prayer is not easy, but implies simplicity of asking You, our heavenly Father, for what we want and our getting it.
There is travail in our praying. It can be work. There is entreaty in it, and there is importunity in it.
Help us know when we're to contend for something to be done, when we realize it would honor You and most likely be in accordance with Your will for the person or situation.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Today's Bible verses-

Proverbs 2:1-5 (MSG)“Good friend, take to heart

what I’m telling you; collect my counsels and guard them
with your life. Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom;
set your heart on a life of Understanding. That’s right—
if you make insight your priority, and won’t take no for
an answer, searching for it like a prospector panning
for gold, like an adventurer on a treasure hunt, believe
me, before you know it Fear-of-God will be yours; you’ll
have come upon the Knowledge of God.”

Hosea 10:12 NIV "Sow righteousness for yourselves,

reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your

unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord,

until he comes and showers his righteousness on you."

Matthew 28:20 (NASB) “. . . I am with you always,
even to the end of the age.”

Today's quote-

Most Common Disciplining Errors

Question: "Dr. Dobson, what is the most common error made by parents in disciplining their children?

Answer: I would have to say it is the inappropriate use of anger in attempting to manage boys and girls. It is one of the most ineffective methods of attempting to influence human beings (of all ages). Unfortunately, most adults rely primarily on their own emotional response to secure the cooperation of children."

Do Women Need Men More or Vice Versa?

What Would You Give for Your Spouse?

Men and Women Have Different Needs

Did you know?

~ Our radical obedience reminds Jesus of heaven, the place He feels at home.

~ We're not called to do what is humanly possible or reasonable, but as children of the King, to do impossibilities for Him.

Today's next 5 posts of 100 things Our God Is . . .

91. Filling Us With Wisdom & Spiritual Understanding	Eph. 1:17
92. Giving Us His Armour	Eph. 6:10-18
93. Providing Us Angels	Heb. 1:14
94. Faithful to Complete the Work He Began in Us	Phil. 1:6
95. Rich in Mercy	Ps. 136

Today's popular post-

#92 Prevailing Prayer Involves Time

Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: "Prevailing in prayer until God's answer is given involves the investment of time.

Any prayer answer worthy of prevailing prayer is worth all the time that you can invest in it. It may involve time spent in prayer on repeated occasions as well as priority on your heart, so that you return to this special petition whenever you have free time."

Upcoming posts-

The Victory Rest
20th- Saturday's post by Lee Forbes

#31 The Cost of Prayer
23rd- Tuesday's post by Samuel Chadwick

#32 The Recompense of Prayer
25th- Thursday's post by Samuel Chadwick

Leave Room for God
27th- Saturday's post by Oswald Chambers