Open—Jim Hyland
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Turn with me to Matthew's Gospel Chapter 6 to follow up what our brother has brought before us in connection with prayer.
Matthew's Gospel, chapter 6 and verse 6.
But now, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy father which is in secret, and thy father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
It was impressed upon me as our brother was speaking in connection with prayer, how the prayer applies to every sphere and aspect of our Christian life. And I'd like to look at some scriptures for a few moments that bring before us prayer, first of all in our personal or private life, because it always starts with the individual, then how it applies to our family life, and then collectively in the assembly as gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Because this has often been said, and rightly so. Prayer is the powerhouse of the Christian life. It's the powerhouse of our lives individually, again, as families, and collectively as gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And if we were to read this 6th chapter of Matthew, we would find that the Lord here, in speaking to those in his day, was making a contrast, because Scripture often teaches us by contrast. And he was contrasting here.
The long prayers and speeches that the religious leaders of his day like to make publicly in the marketplace.
So that they could be heard and commended for how well they could express things and how eloquent they could put things in prayer and so on. And he contrasts it with his own, who he says when you pray, you get alone with me, go into your closet and shut your door, because that's what he wants, brethren. He wants us to have that spirit of dependence and confidence in our lives. And that's really what prayer, in any aspect that we take it up is.
Prayer is the expression of those two things. Dependence. Because when I pray, I'm really telling the Lord I don't have any might for this situation.
I'm not able for this situation, but I'm also expressing confidence that he's able for whatever the situation is. And so when that you pray, get along with the Lord. And I'll just say this in passing, I believe it's helpful to have a stated time for prayer, but also a stated place for prayer. Somewhere where you can slip away from the hustle and bustle of life, Somewhere where you can slip away from other family members.
And shut the door. It may not literally be a closet, like the Lord said here as we think of a closet, but somewhere where you can get along with the Lord and justice, pour out your heart before Him. Remember, too, when we come in prayer, that we need to come with Thanksgiving. Because I believe sometimes the difficulty is that when we come with requests, we forget to thank the Lord for past answers to prayer. And so when you come, come with Thanksgiving, thank Him for all that he's done for you.
All that he is doing for you, thank him for what's ahead in that day of glory. We're going on to a scene where we won't need prayer in the same way that we have it now, a scene where we'll be beyond the burdens and the trials and the exercises of the path of faith and service. And so I suppose we'll take it up again in our reading. But that verse that we had before us yesterday, it says by him. Therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.
He wants that continual spirit of Thanksgiving and praise, and he wants to hear our praise and Thanksgiving express again, first of all, when we come to Him in private prayer, and then to bring before him those needs and requests to intercede on behalf of our own difficulties in our own family. But also for those of our brethren. There are two very there are many, but there are at least two outstanding examples of prayer, at least to my own soul, that come before me in connection with this.
One, of course this has already been alluded to, is Daniel, and it was the secret of Daniel's whole life. Daniel was a man of prayer. The boys and girls often sing that little chorus. Daniel was a man of prayer daily. He prayed three times. And it's very interesting when you go to the 6th chapter of the Book of Daniel, define Daniel as an old man still characterized by prayer. And Daniel had a stated time and a stated place for prayer.
He prayed in his room three times a day, and it's very interesting scriptures, tremendously accurate. It doesn't say that when he went into his room to pray after the writing had been signed, that no one was to pray to the king, to anyone other than the king for a certain length of time. It doesn't say that Daniel went into his room and opened his windows toward Jerusalem. Now they were to pray toward Jerusalem, God's center and God's house, if they were ever in difficulty. That was the provision that was made for them. You remember at Solomon's prayer, at the dedication of the temple.
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That provision was made, but it doesn't say that Daniel opened his windows toward Jerusalem. It says his windows being open toward Jerusalem. It was the habit of Daniel's life to pray three times a day and to keep his windows open toward Jerusalem, because on that occasion, if he had opened them, he'd be courting persecution. If he closed them, he'd be a coward. But it never changed Daniel's routine when that very difficult circumstance came.
It never changed his prayer routine. He went right on because it says, and he prayed as he did a four time. In other words, even when things were going well in Daniel's life, he kept his windows open towards Jerusalem and prayed three times a day. You know, I have to hang my head and say when some special trial or burden comes into my life, it often changes my prayer life for a little time. Sometimes I pray more earnestly. I spend more time in prayer.
But is our prayer life so rude, part of our daily Christian routine and exercise that no matter whether things are going smoothly in our lives or whether there's a special burden or care, we carry on the same way we always had. That I say, was the secret of Daniel's life. Because I stress again that there's no other way to have prayer or to have power in our Christian life apart from the fact that we are men and women of prayer.
You know, when I was younger, and I still do it, but when I was younger, I used to read missionary stories about men and women of past generations who had tremendous power in their pathway, who went to foreign countries and against all kinds of odds and difficulties, triumphed and propagated the gospel and the truth for the glory of God and the blessing of souls. And there are still men and women who do that today, and their stories are fascinating. But you, as I used to read those stories when I was younger, I would say, wow.
How could they have such power against those difficulties? But then you read their stories more carefully.
And you find they were men and women of prayer and men and women of faith. Martin Luther said, I have so much work to do for the Lord. I dare not spend less than three hours a day in prayer. No wonder he was a man raised up of God during the Reformation and so mightily used in the work of God as things were being recovered in those days. And so if we're going to have power in our lives, young people, you want power in your Christian life, you've got to cultivate the habit.
Of prayer in your life. And the habits we cultivate when we're younger are the habits that are going to stand us in good stead when we when we get older. And I want to encourage you not only to cultivate the habit of reading God's word that's listening to Him speak to us, but then the habit of speaking to the Lord. That's what prayer in its simplest form really is. It's speaking to the Lord. And so thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father, which is in secret.
But there's another outstanding example of a man of prayer in the New Testament, and his name is Epiphras, and we find just three brief mentions of Epiphras. Not a lot told us about about him, but he was a man of prayer and he's commended for it. Epifras, who is one of you, laboreth in prayer for you. Do we know what it is to labor in prayer? I'm not asking our souls do we know what it is to say a little prayer at the breakfast table or to rattle off a few names and.
Those that we know have needs at prayer time. But do we know what it is to really labour in prayer? And when Epifras laboured in prayer, he was not only praying for his own needs, but the brethren at Colossi. And he also said, and for those of Laodicea and Heropolis, he had the Saints of God on his heart. You know, a few months ago, when my wife was so sick, we learned something. We learned two things. I'll share this for a moment. We learned two things.
In reality, we knew them in theory because that we have them in the word of God. But two things we felt the power of one was the unfeigned love of our brethren, and the other was the power of intercessory prayer. We felt it like never before to know that our brethren around the world were interceding for us in prayer. You know, we know what it is to intercede for our brethren. Yes, it's wonderful to bring our own needs before the Lord, but sometimes I'm very selfish in my prayers.
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Epifras knew what it was to labor in prayer on behalf of his brethren.
And can I just say this too, brother? Sometimes we begin to pray for someone.
When we know they have a real need or difficulty. But it's very interesting when you go through Paul's epistles to find that at the times when he interceded in prayer on behalf of his brethren, it was usually at a time when they were going on. Well, now I'm sure Paul prayed for his brethren when there were difficult circumstances, sickness, special trials, special attacks of the enemy, and so on, but I would suggest that we use if we used prayer as a preventative measure.
If we would pray for the preservation of one another in the path of faith and service, it might spare us for many from many things. Why is it sometimes we begin to pray for a person after they've quit coming to the meetings? Or they're going on a path that we know is going to lead to at some detriment to them in their Christian life and following the Lord. Or some sin has come into their life and we've had to deal with it in the assembly for the Lord's glory and the clearing of sin from the presence of the Lord and His people.
If perhaps we would pray for one another, name by name and need by need, before that happened, it would spare us for many things. Why did Paul pray for the Saints when they were going on? Well, because he knew they were going to be a special attack of the enemy. He knew that the freshness of in Thessalonica, of those recent converts by the enemy, was going to be right there to spoil that. He knew when the gospel testimony was going out from Philippi that the enemy was going to be right there to spoil that.
He knew that when the Ephesians were going on in such a state that they could take in the precious truth of their heavenly calling, the enemy was going to be right there to seek to spoil that in some way. And so we need to intercede on behalf of of one another. Prayer takes on various characters. Sometimes we don't have because we ask not. It says you have not because you ask not. And sometimes there's already been alluded to. We we don't get the answers to prayer that we should because we give up to easy.
Now I'll just say in that regard too, that brethren, we never want to beg the Lord for something that isn't according to His will.
I realize on the one hand, the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
And it's like the man the Lord told about who came to his friend at midnight, and his friend finally rose and gave him that which was for his sustenance and the sustenance of those who had come under his roof, not because he was his friend, but because of his opportunity, his constant knocking, because he wouldn't give up. But brethren, be careful now. There are things we should never give up praying for. My wife prayed for years for the salvation of her father and the Lord after many years before he took him home. He saved my my father-in-law. But you have scripture for that. It's God's will that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.
Maybe there's a parent or a grandparent here and you're praying for the restoration of a child, or a grandchild or some other loved one. Don't give up. The grace of God desires to restore those ones, and he does restore souls, but I'm talking in the everyday situations of life. Be careful not to beg the Lord for something that isn't according to his will, because he may grant the request, but it says of the children of Israel He granted their request but sent leanness into their souls. The children of Israel on another occasion.
Moses to send in spies to spy out the land, and in his permissive will God finally said to Moses, appoint 12 men and send them in. It was because of a low moral state and unbelief amongst the people of God. But what was the result? Why they had to wander 40 years in the wilderness and come under the governmental hand of God time and time and time again. And God didn't allow that generation to enter the land. And so we want to be careful. But on the other hand, we want to pray sincerely and not give up easily.
Especially, as I say, when we have a scripture for it. Another aspect too that I might mention is that when we pray about something, God always answers our prayers. God always answers our prayers, but it may not be in the way that we anticipated. Sometimes, if it's according to His will, He will answer our prayers. If it's according to His will, scripture says we have the request that we ask. If it's not according to His will, he'll say no, but sometimes it's not His time.
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To me, that's the hardest one of all. When he says wait a while, sometimes I get ahead of the Lord.
And I want things instantaneously. But God has a perfect timetable. Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him, and he will bring it to pass. But it may not be to pass as quickly as I expected. And I think of the Apostle Paul in this regard so often, because Paul prayed three times that the thorn in the flesh that the Lord had allowed in his life would be removed. And the Lord said, no, Paul, I'm not going to remove that thorn in the flesh.
And Paul didn't pray about it anymore. He prayed three times and the Lord said, my grace is sufficient for thee. My strength is made perfect in weakness. Paul, I'm not going to answer the prayer the way you'd really like, but I'm going to give you all the grace that's needed, the strength that's needed so you can serve me and my people for my glory, even without the removal of that thorn in the flesh. We have the perfect example of the Lord Jesus. He prayed three times in the garden and said if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. But he only prayed the three times.
And he said, nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done. He said, the cup which my father hath given me, shall I not drink it? And so I say, this is personal prayer, and it begins with the individual. And I just challenge my own soul. And brethren, don't think I'm standing here to say I've arrived. I'm giving you the principles of Scripture. But I have far from arrived at these, at these principles. But I believe this is what gives us a fruitful, happy, powerful Christian life. You want fruit and testimony in your Christian pathway.
You've got to spend time in prayer. Well, let's go on now to the Book of Peter. First Peter, chapter 3.
First Peter chapter 3 and verse 7. Likewise ye husbands dwell with them according to knowledge.
Giving honor unto the wife, as under the weaker vessel and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered. We have spoken a prayer in our personal lives, but now I want to speak of it in the family circle. The first institution that God set up for the blessing of man on the earth was the family. And if the family is characterized by prayer, there's going to be power and blessing. And I want to encourage you. I know there are those who are anticipating setting up a home.
The Christian home is really the only bulwark that's left against the world, the assembly to some degree. But it says, David said I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly. Just being with the people of God doesn't preserve us, but the Christian home is to be that bulwark, that wall, that shelter, that refuge for our families and for those who come under our roofs. And there are two things that it needs to be characterized by the word of God and prayer.
I'm thankful that I look back to a home where I had a father who was exercised to bring those two things.
Before us every day to read the word of God and to spend a little time in prayer with his family. And I didn't always appreciate it. I'll just say to the children here and the young people who are still under their parents roof, if you have a father or mother who brings the word of God before you and sets aside a prayer time every day, oh, I pray that you'll learn to value that while you're young. I didn't always appreciate it when I was young. I didn't always value it when I was young. But I'm thankful for a father and a mother who were consistent.
In those things, and I'm not a great one for catchy cliches and phraseology, but I have seen that little expression. The family that prays together stays together. You know, this is a day when the enemy is busy to smash everything that God has set up and established for the blessing of man on the earth. Let me just again rephrase it. There were two institutions that God set up for the blessing of man on the earth. The first was the family, The second was the assembly.
And Satan has been busy to tear down and smash those two things if he can. And we see the breakdown of the family in the world on every hand. We see couples splitting, children, brothers and sisters split. And what a sad thing it is to see the breakdown of the family, perhaps like never before. But I want to encourage you as Christian families to take that time to spend in prayer, because here he's talking about the husband and wife relationship.
It's very interesting too. If we were to go to Acts chapter 10, we find that there was a man of prayer. His name was Cornelius.
But it's interesting. If you notice, I think it's the second verse of that chapter and the 30th verse. I believe you can check it out.
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You'll find, I believe, that there's a little hint that not only was Cornelius a man of prayer.
But he brought his whole household under the exercise of prayer. And what a blessing there was for that household. Why, That was the very place where the gospel went out to the Gentiles and they are brought into the Church of God. What a blessing, because there was a man who was characterized by prayer individually and I suggest, brought his whole family under the exercise of prayer. So I say again, prayer is not just the powerhouse of our lives individually, but it is the powerhouse of our lives.
As family. Now let's go to a familiar verse in Acts chapter 2.
Acts chapter 2 and verse 42.
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread.
And in prayers. I believe what we have here are what we might call the assembly meetings. The Church had just been formed and the Brethren went on together in these different things. The order is very important. I'll just mention it in passing. They continued steadfastly. Or if you notice Mr. Darby's translation, they persevered. Because it does take perseverance to go on together. It takes perseverance to be at the assembly meetings. And notice the first thing is the apostles doctrine, because doctrine is vital.
It's important. It's the IT was the basis for everything else. Now I realize here it wasn't Paul's doctrine. It wasn't the doctrines that have been recorded to us subsequent to this by the New Testament writers. It was what they got orally from the apostles at that time. And so that was the foundation of everything else. It was the foundation for fellowship, for breaking of bread and prayers. And don't let anybody come along and tell you that doctrine doesn't matter.
Paul, When he wrote to Timothy, he wrote of appalling days of breakdown, breakdown in government, breakdown in the world, in the home, even amongst the people of God. And he said, Thou has fully known, and he lists a number of things. And what does it start with? Thou has fully known my doctrine and manner of life. Sometimes we tend to put the manner of life 1St. And I'm thankful for anyone who exhibits moral piety and godliness in their life, But it must be based on doctrine. You know in Timothy we have the need for sound doctrine, in Titus we have sound behavior, and sound behavior is based on sound doctrine. Thou is fully known my doctrine and manner of life.
And if we're going to claim to be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus? If we're going to claim Matthew 18 and 20?
We it must be based on the teaching of the Word of God. It must be based on sound doctrine and principles.
Paul was a wise master builder that laid the foundation. And there were others, because in Ephesians it says that the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, the New Testament writers who laid down those those doctrines and principles, those teachings for us. So they persevered in the apostles doctrine and fellowship breaking of bread.