Watch and pray; ask and receive; seek and find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. To live in the experience of constant “watching unto prayer” is one of the greatest achievements of the Christian life, and such is the actual need of the day in which we live — in the constant spirit and habit of prayer (Matt. 7:77Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: (Matthew 7:7)). There are many other needs, but the need of prayer transcends them all. It is the lack of prayer that lies at the root of all our troubles, and there is no remedy but in prayer.
The spirit of worldliness will never be broken by strong and fiery words of censure. The powerlessness of the church cannot be cured by reproach. Spiritual destitution and moral laxity are the order of the day, but they will never be better, until prayer is restored to its true place in the habit of individual believers and in the church collectively.
Why Do We Not Pray?
Why do we not set ourselves to prayer? The remedy is sure and simple; the need is urgent and acknowledged. Why is it so slow in getting to work? “Seek and ye shall find.” The remedy is not as simple as it seems. The command to ask seems simple enough, and the promise is to them that ask. “Ye have not, because ye ask not” (James 4:22Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. (James 4:2)). “Ask and receive.” What could be simpler than that? And yet, the Scriptures speak of it as toil and labor. Prayer taxes all the resources of the mind and heart.
Examples of Prayer
Jesus Christ wrought many mighty works without any signs of effort. There was in His marvelous works the ease of omnipotence. There was no strain in healing diseases, raising the dead, and stilling the tempest, but we read of His being all night in prayer (Luke 6:1212And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. (Luke 6:12)). All who have shared His intercession have found it a travail of anguish. Great saints have always been mighty in prayer, and their triumphs have always been the outcome of pain. They wrestled in agony with breaking hearts and weeping eyes, until they were assured they had prevailed (Col. 1:9; 2:19For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; (Colossians 1:9)
1For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; (Colossians 2:1)).
Their experiences were seemingly strange but wonderful. They spent nights in prayer, they lay on the ground weeping and pleading, and came out of the conflict physically spent, but spiritually victorious. They wrestled with principalities and powers, contended with the world rulers of Satan’s kingdom, and grappled with spiritual foes in the heavenly sphere.
Powerless Prayer
Nowadays in the open life of the church and in the fellowship of believers, there is seemingly little power in prayer. There is a marked absence of travail. There is much phrasing, but little pleading. Prayer has become a soliloquy instead of a passion. The powerlessness of the church needs no other explanation; to be prayerless is to be both passionless and powerless.
“Watch and pray.” The New Testament links watching with prayer. Twice our Lord commanded His disciples to “watch and pray.” They are to watch at every season, making supplication. The instruction is not to pray and watch, but to “watch and pray” (Matt. 26:4141Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41)). Paul exhorts the Colossians to “continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving,” and in the warfare against evil powers he instructs the Ephesians to be alert “with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication” (Eph. 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)). It is the watcher that prays and prevails. The command to watch is linked with the command to pray, and prayer is regulated by the exercise of watching. Peter slept while Jesus prayed, because he failed to watch.
Prevail in Prayer
Prayer is the only medium by which we can prevail in the spirit world. The Word of God reveals its mysteries; prayer lays hold of God and prevails. Prayer seeks divine wisdom and awaits divine instruction. It turns thoughts into petitions, facts into arguments, reasons into supplication, faith into sight, and prayer into praise.
Such prayer-life is absolutely simple, but it is by no means easy. The devil sees to that, for he sentinels the gateway of prayer. Satan dreads nothing but prayer, and thus he stands at the portal of prayer as an “angel of light.” He does not attack; he diverts. The one who lacks prayer is usually full of good works. Works are multiplied, that devotion and meditation may be ousted, and activities are increased that prayer may have no chance. Souls may be lost in good works, as surely as in evil ways. The one concern of the devil is to keep the saints from prayer. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.
Watch and Pray
Who can tell the blessing of “watching unto prayer”? But how often earthly concerns, material interests, commercial enterprises, domestic affairs, and everything else hold the right of way to the divine presence! Therefore we are weak, when we might be strong. What serenity and confidence would come to worried and distracted ones if they “watched unto prayer”! Nothing saves time like time spent with God. An hour’s spiritual thinking, earnest communication, and patient waiting would save both time and money, as well as keep hearts young and tempers sweet.
“As He was praying.” Prayer illumines and transforms. God teaches men that pray. He opens their eyes, and they see things in His light; He touches their hearts, and they feel as He feels. “Watching unto prayer” gives wisdom. The more we know how truly to wait upon God, the more shall we truly know the joy and sweetness of abiding rest. “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength” (Isa. 40:3131But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)). These are the factors of prevailing with God. Prayer languishes when watching fails. The fire dies for lack of fuel. It is not information that is wanted but vision (Jer. 29:1313And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)).
Sincerity and Submission in Prayer
If prayer is the supreme need of the church, why do not people begin to pray? The frivolous cannot pray. It is an exercise that demands intellectual honesty, moral sincerity and spiritual resoluteness. The proud cannot pray. It is an exercise that requires lowliness of mind, simplicity of heart, and a teachable spirit (Isa. 59:11Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: (Isaiah 59:1)). The worldling cannot pray. Prayer submits all things to the standards of heaven, seeks the judgment of God, and lives in the unseen. Prayer that stops short of obedience is blasphemy.
“This is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him” (1 John 5:14-1514And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. (1 John 5:14‑15)).
Young Christian, Vol. 23 (adapted)