It’s like I’ve hit a brick wall; nothing is happening. I sit down to write and all I see is a blank page or an empty notebook. This is one of those dry periods and I am not hearing anything except the pounding of the blood going through an otherwise unoccupied brain.
When I write it is not me that does the writing. I am totally dependent upon the Holy Spirit and without Him I struggle mightily and the end result isn’t worth much. I am more of a stenographer than a writer and when the paper is blank and the mind is following suit I get frustrated.
This morning I got very frustrated and pressed God for the answer. Where are you? I know you want me to share Your Word but if You don’t talk to me I have nothing to write; what gives?
Perhaps I would have been better off leaving well enough alone. I knew the moment I uttered that thought I was in trouble. The answer came swiftly and loudly … you’re the problem, not Me!
As usual I picked myself up and headed for the woodshed. You would think by now that I’d have this routine figured out. But each and every time I come away with something new (or renewed) to chew on. This time was no exception and on the way I had a pretty good idea what was coming — a little lesson on what was hindering my prayer life.
If I were to look at my life and identify one thing that has hindered my prayer life more than anything else it would be “being busy.” It is a constant problem as I move through each day, especially when it involves “the Lord’s work.” Sometimes it is like the little kid that keeps banging his head against the wall. The more he bangs the more it hurts; the more it hurts the more he is focused on the pain. All the time the voice telling him to stop gets pushed deeper and deeper into the corner. At times I find myself so caught up in “work for the Lord” that I haven’t even spent one minute of the day with Him, let alone talking about it.
Luke 10:38-42 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 39 and she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. 40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me. 41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
In this scripture we have that very same thing happening to Martha. She found herself getting all worked up because she wasn’t able to hear what Jesus was saying and still do all the work. The word parakathestheisa means sitting at one’s feet; the perfect picture of a disciple and there was Mary sitting. Verse 39 tells us that not only was she sitting there but she heard His word. I can picture her very restful and attentive as Martha runs in and out trying to “serve the master;” the very opposite of Mary.
Verse 40 tells us that Martha was cumbered or distracted in serving Jesus and bothered that her sister had left her alone to do the work. This bothered her so much that she even chides Jesus by asking him, “don’t you care; tell her to help me.” Jesus, in His response, hit the nail right on the head: Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things. He notes that she is inwardly anxious (careful) and outwardly busy (troubled) about many things. Don’t we get that way sometimes when we’re busy with our work? That’s sure where I found myself just before the trip to the woodshed. It sounds very similar to a comment found in Matt 6:31:
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Jesus goes on to tell her that she hasn’t made a bad choice but rather the least of the two choices. She could choose to busy herself with the work of serving Him (a good thing to do) that would ultimately die with her or she could choose like Mary to hear His word (a better thing to do), which would never be taken from her. He tells her that one thing is needful, one thing comes first and the rest come later. Mary has chosen the eternal thing and not the temporal thing; the needful thing.
If you think about it the first rule in communication is to focus on the person with whom you are trying to communicate. Since prayer is communicating with the Lord we need to focus on Him. Let me give you a great tip concerning focus during those times you are being distracted. Pray out loud and you will cut your mind out of the process and eliminate the distractions. Our minds don’t like to process more than one thing at a time and the one making the most noise always wins. Ever wonder why the devil is hollering in your ear most of the time?
I get so wrapped up in what I am trying TO DO for Jesus that I forget He just wants me to sit at His feet and hear His Word. If I would get in the habit of spending a little more time praying and listening my life would be enriched beyond measure. We’ve all been distracted like Martha and at other times been in complete peace like Mary. Which makes more sense?
Prayer, from the beginning of time, has been the method by which man formed his image of God. It was in the time of Enos, the son of Seth (the son of Adam that replaced Able) that man began to call upon the name of the Lord (Gen 4:26). The name Enos means “frailty” and is very representative of the condition of the Sethites as opposed to the pride of the decedents of Cain (Cainites). It was their pride that kept them from seeking God while the Sethites actively looked to God for strength. That has continued on down through the Hebrews to the Gentile nations to us today; we are still seeking his strength (Ps 119:49 and Prov 18:10).
Over the centuries we have found prayer to produce and strengthen in our mind a conscious dependence on God. Through it we develop faith, love, a receiving heart and an appreciation of God’s blessings in the answer. For us it can range from supplication to worship and everything in between: confession, thanksgiving and adoration. We have learned that every prayer carries with it the limitation that it must conform to God’s Perfect Will. That has always been the difficult part for me as it represents the totality of my dependence upon God.
Prayer is request to a personal Lord who answers as He knows best. We should not think that we will always have success in obtaining the things for which we ask. In His wisdom, God hears and answers in the way that is best. Nelson’s Bible Dictionary
We must always fall back on the firm foundation that Jesus laid for us. Without a total commitment to God’s Perfect Will we are destined to be disappointed. Why? Because God knows that many of the things that we pray for are detrimental to our relationship with Him. If we are seeking Him first then this is not an issue. If, on the other hand, we are following after our own self-interest then we are going to come face to face with the same issue that faced the Cainites; pride. If that is the case then our prayer life is in trouble at the outset.
Prayer is not some complicated, mystical process whereby we entreat God to “make something happen.” Quite the contrary, it is the way He provided for us to simply talk to Him and learn what He is going to make happen. And the kind of talks He wants are the ones that come from the heart. We sometimes forget that He already knows what is first and foremost in our thoughts; so why do we try and beat around the bush? We know that it is eventually going to come out so why do we cause ourselves so much pain and suffering along the way? PRIDE! The Word of God tells us that pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall (Prov 16:18). I can’t think of anything worse than allowing my pride to shut off communication with God. I’ve done it and it is a lonely place in which you find yourself.
The secret to a successful prayer life is to keep the lines of communication open at all times. That job falls directly upon each one of us. We need to emulate David and be quick to confess and repent. We need to be steadfast like Abraham and let our faith undergird our prayers. But most of all we need to be like Jesus and pray for the accomplishment of God’s Perfect Will above our own. When we can do that we move into a whole new realm in our prayer life. When we are so totally submitted and committed that nothing but His Will matters then our life takes on an entirely new perspective. We move from disappointment to the fullness of joy. We begin to see life as God sees it and our prayers embody those things that are important to the advancement of His Kingdom and not our own world. Fear and worry are replaced with His love and our heart reaches out in new directions that only He can give us. What a wonderful change to a life that struggles with: what to pray for; when should I pray; is this an acceptable prayer; or what do I write about today?
Take a few moments this upcoming week and look up the following scriptures:
Genesis 18:16-33 – Prayer is an opportunity to bring our will into line with God’s plan and to demonstrate our trust in Him.
Psalm 4:1-8 – Prayer is speaking with God.
Hebrews 4:14-16 – Prayer is an awesome privilege.
Genesis 25:19-34 – Prayer reflects our dependence on God.
Exodus 17:1-7 – Prayer is far better than complaining to each other.
Judges 16:23-31 – Prayer can restore our relationship with God.
Ezra 8:1-36 – We should pray with an attitude of deep respect for God.
Nehemiah 2:1-10 – We should pray with confidence in God’s grace.
Matthew 6:5-15 – We should pray with humility and sincerity.
Colossians 1:1-14 – We should pray for others.
Joshua 7:1-26 – Biblical prayers are marked by humility and honesty.
2 Chronicles 6:1-42 – Biblical prayers are wide-ranging and specific.
Matthew 6:5-15 – Biblical prayer is personal, recognizes God’s position, recognizes our position, demonstrates complete dependence and asks God for guidance.
John 17:1-26 – Biblical prayer recognizes the spiritual warfare around us, is not escape from the world and binds us with other believers.
And my personal favorite:
Heb 4:14-16. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Prayer is truly awesome! In light of that let me close with a quote from William James that really sums up my feelings about prayer and its impact on my relationship with God:
God is more real to me than any thought or thing or person. I feel him in the sunshine or rain; and all mingled with a delicious restfulness most nearly describes my feelings. I talk to him as to a companion in prayer and praise, and our communion is delightful. He answers me again and again, often in words so clearly spoken that it seems my outer ear must have carried the tone, but generally in strong mental impressions. Usually a text of Scripture, unfolding some new view of him and his love for me, and care for my safety … that he is mine and I am his never leaves me; it is an abiding joy. Without it life would be a blank, a desert, a shoreless, trackless waste.
Perhaps one of these days I’ll get it figured out — God is in charge and it works a whole lot better when I submit and let Him be God.