In considering the most important subject of prayer, our thoughts are directed first of all to the moral basis of collective prayer, and then to its moral conditions.
The Moral Basis of Prayer
A number of verses give us the moral basis of prayer, and we will mention a few of them. “If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:77If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. (John 15:7)). Again, “Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:21-2221But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. 22After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. (John 3:21‑22)). When the Apostle Paul solicits the prayers of the saints, he says, “Pray for us; for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly” (Heb. 13:1818Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly. (Hebrews 13:18)).
From these verses we see that effectual prayer is connected with an obedient heart, an upright mind and a good conscience. How important this is, for we must walk in communion with God in order to pray effectively. Likewise, when we ask others to pray for us, may we be exercised before the Lord about our own condition of soul! Are we really abiding in Christ and keeping His commandments? May our hearts be searched by these questions, for sometimes there is unreality in our prayers — a vast amount of “asking amiss.” The psalmist could say, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psa. 66:1818If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: (Psalm 66:18)). This is solemn, for the Lord will have us to be real with Him, as He is real with us.
Our prayers may degenerate into orations and statements of doctrine, instead of real petitions. Do we sometimes use the prayer meeting for the fluent utterances of acknowledged truths and principles, rather than real prayer? The prayer meeting should be a place of expressed need and expected blessing—the place of expressed weakness and expected power. Surely those who come do not come to hear long, preaching prayers, but rather real needs expressed before the Lord.
Also, there may be a lack of reverence in our prayer meetings. We know, of course, that the great question is to have our hearts in a right attitude. However, let us remember that our physical position often betrays our hearts. We ought to kneel down when we can, for such a posture expresses reverence and prostration. The blessed Master “kneeled down and prayed” (Luke 22:4141And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, (Luke 22:41)), and Paul did the same, as we read in Acts 20:3636And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all. (Acts 20:36), “When he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all.” We recognize that those who are older or infirm may not be able to do so, and also that lack of space occasionally prevents kneeling.
Moral Conditions of Collective Prayer
We now come to the moral attributes of prayer. In considering these, we must have the authority of the Word of God for everything. Let us never forget this.
Unity
We read in Matthew 18:1919Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 18:19), “Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven.” Here we learn that unanimity — cordial agreement — is a necessary condition of prayer. It will not do for each to have some special thought of his own to carry out. We must come before the throne of grace in holy harmony of mind and spirit, else we cannot claim an answer. This is of immense moral weight and cannot be overestimated. We read in Acts 1:1414These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. (Acts 1:14), concerning the early disciples, “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication.” They prayed with one accord and had one definite object before their hearts.
Suppose a situation where withering formalism seems to have settled down upon the place where we are. Let us, even if there are but two who really feel the condition of things, get together with one accord and pour out our hearts to God. Let us not yield to one-sided theology which says, “God is sovereign, and we must wait His time.” There is indeed a measure of truth in this, but it is not the whole truth. Let us not fold our hands in cold indifference, for nothing can touch the precious truth of Matthew 18:1919Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 18:19). Prayer is the grand remedy. Let us wait on God in holy accord, and the blessing is sure to come.
Faith
In Matthew 21:2222And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. (Matthew 21:22), we find another of the essential conditions of effective prayer: “All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” This is a marvelous statement and opens the very treasures of heaven to faith. Likewise, in James 1:66But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. (James 1:6), in connection with asking for wisdom, we read, “Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.” From both of these passages we learn that if our prayers are to have an answer, they must be prayers of faith. It is one thing to utter words of prayer, but another thing altogether to have the settled assurance that we shall have what we ask for.
Specific Requests
In Luke 11:510, we read of the man who went to his friend at midnight with the request, “Friend, lend me three loaves.” The Lord’s comment on this was, “Ask, and it shall be given you . . . for every one that asketh receiveth.” In these verses we are taught to be definite in our prayers. There is a positive need, and he confines himself to this need. He makes no rambling statements, but a direct and pointed request. No doubt it was an untoward time to come, but he presses his need. He must have those three loaves.
Do we not often mention a whole host of things of which we do not really feel the need? Surely it would give a freshness and glow to the prayer meeting if we came with something definite on our hearts! How much better it is to bring some object before God, earnestly urge it, and pause so that the Holy Spirit may lead out others!
Do not our prayer meetings suffer from long, rambling prayers? Long prayers are often wearisome, and while we would not trespass on the Holy Spirit’s leading in prayer, it is noteworthy that the prayers in Scripture are brief and pointed. Thus long prayers in public are not the rule in Scripture, and they are referred to in Mark 12:4040Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation. (Mark 12:40) with withering disapproval. They exert a depressing influence upon all, while short prayers impart freshness and interest to the prayer meeting.
Persistence
Another moral condition brought out in Luke 11 is importunity. The man gains his object by his earnest persistence. Do we understand this great lesson? God encourages importunity, and it will often be found that a lack of definiteness is connected with a lack of importunity. The two go very much together. Often we are too vague and indifferent in our prayers, and this renders our prayer meetings pithless, pointless and powerless. Let us be thoroughly aroused as to this question, that we may be people who ask for what they want, and wait for what they ask.
Perseverance
This brings us to another moral condition of prayer, found in Luke 18:11And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; (Luke 18:1), “He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” Here we find perseverance, and this is intimately connected with definiteness and importunity. If we want a certain thing, we perseveringly wait on God until He graciously sends an answer. We must not faint (lose heart), but must persevere. This exercise is good and morally healthful, and it brings us into the presence of God. Sometimes God sees fit to withhold the answer to our prayers, if only to prove the reality of our request. Thus we read in Ephesians 6:1818Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Ephesians 6:18), “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”
In Conclusion, “Let Us . . . ”
We have considered our lack of confidence, our failure to have unanimity, and the absence of definiteness and importunity and perseverance. We have spoken of the wrong of long, tiresome prayers. All of this may well tend to make the Lord’s people stay away from the prayer meeting, feeling that they can pray better at home. But surely this is not the way to remedy the evils we have recounted. If it is right to come together for prayer, surely it is not right for us to stay away because of the failure of some who may take part in the meeting. Let us remember that we do not go merely for our own profit and blessing. We must think of the Lord’s glory, seek to do His blessed will, and promote the good of others. If we are there in a right spirit, we will do much to help the tone of such a meeting. Let us remember that the one who is in a bad state of soul will absent himself from the prayer meeting on purpose, while the healthy and diligent soul will be found there.
All this demands our serious consideration. Do we not feel the lack of power in our prayer meetings? Let us unite in cordial, earnest, united prayer and supplication. Let us persevere with God for the revival of His work, the progress of the gospel, and the ingathering and upbuilding of His beloved people. Let our prayer meetings be really prayer meetings, where God’s people assemble with one accord, in order to get into the very treasury of heaven. May the Holy Spirit stir us all up and press upon our souls the value, importance and urgent necessity of unanimity, confidence, definiteness, importunity and perseverance in our prayers and prayer meetings!
C. H. Mackintosh, adapted from
Prayer and the Prayer Meeting