Prayer.

It’s one of the greatest blessings I know.

It’s one of the greatest battles I fight.

I would even venture to say that I’m pretty awful at it.

And that bothers me,

It’s really a privilege. I mean, how amazing is it to be able to come before the God of the universe and Creator of all with my smallest concerns and my greatest anxieties? I know I can bring to him my most insignificant requests and my most heart wrenching pleas. I can tell him everything, both what seems obvious as well as my deepest secrets…all of which he already knew before a word left my mouth. It is a blessing beyond measure to come to him with my praise, adoration, and worship, and no matter how inadequate it may be, still he is glorified. It’s a liberating thing to know the One I can lay my guilt and shame before and truly be redeemed and renewed. To know to whom I can go for all things and in every situation. To know that I am bringing my requests before the One who holds the world in the palm of his hand. It’s incredible! It really is.

And yet…

I so often fail to take advantage of this amazing gift. And I wonder why…why would I foolishly refuse to pray? Or forget to pray? Or simply not pray enough?

Why are there times I know I ought to pray and I simply don’t know how or what to say? And so I don’t. Completely forgetting that:

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because^[a] the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. ~ Romans 8:26-27

Why are there moments when I try to pray and feel as though the very effort takes all I have. Why do I feel so distracted? Why is it so hard to focus? Why are there times I literally do not want to pray? These questions plague me.

Why is prayer such a battle?

So, let’s look at what prayer…real, raw, honest, effective prayer, requires of us, and see if we can understand why this blessing must come with such a fight.

Prayer Requires Faith

Before we speak a word to the Lord, we must come in faith. Faith in the One we pray to and that he is a God who cares for his people and answers their prayers for their good and his glory. If we come full of doubts that we are heard or that the Lord cares, we are going to have a problem from the start. For we know that:

…without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. ~ Hebrews 11:6

We are called to come before the throne of grace with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). And yet, I find it so easy to doubt..to doubt that I am heard, to doubt that God sees me, to doubt that he will answer. And if I am coming filled with all of these doubts, which contradict and ignore the promises he has made in his word, I need to realize that this will hinder every prayer I offer.

And if we know we are coming to the Lord this way, we don’t have to despair! It is vital that we repent and beg the Lord to soften and renew our hearts! To grant us the faith that we lack. Let our prayer be the same as that of the anxious father in the book of Mark who desperately desired Jesus to heal his son but also realized his own lack of faith. May we beg of our Lord who is faithful to hear: “I believe, help my unbelief!”

Prayer Requires Time

We live in a society that makes time for many things but being STILL for any reason (besides napping and Netflix binging, of course) is not one of them. This is not to say that you can’t pray as you go about your day, you certainly should! But we see Christ’s example of taking purposeful time to pray and we ought to follow it.

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. ~ Mark 1:35

To be still before the Lord and bring our requests, our confessions, our thanksgiving and our praise takes TIME. And in a world that strives so hard to claim our attentions and focus, it can be a challenge. Ever sit down to pray and feel as though your mind goes everywhere except the Lord. Ever feel your mind wandering to what you need to get done or what you could be doing instead? It seems unimaginable that we could feel that anything is more important than seeking help and growing our relationship with the one who truly has the power to control, change, or simply comfort us in our circumstances…yet we humans are so easily distracted, so easily seduced by all this world has to offer and often spend our time pursuing those things rather than spending our time in prayer. In Ephesians we see that in order to stand firm in our faith we must daily take up this part of the armor of God:

Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints… ~ Ephesians 6:18

And prayer takes time because not only should we praying for ourselves but for those around us. And there are many, many people in need of prayer. I am sometimes amazed when I sit down to make an exhaustive prayer list…because it seems an unending process.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. ~ 1 Timothy 2:1-3

Prayer takes time. And we must make the time or it won’t happen. As Martin Luther once said: “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”

Prayer Requires Humility

I am so guilty of failing to pray because I don’t want to lay down my pride in order to do so. We absolutely will not be fulfilled by a prayer time that drips with our own self confidence or self-reliance. If we refuse to see our own need, then what is the point? We must see how desperate we are. We must acknowledge our own inability to do anything of merit outside of God’s good grace. We must see and REPENT of our own sinfulness. I so often come into prayer more like the pharisee than the tax collector.

The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed^[a] thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” ~ Luke 18:13-14

David’s prayer in Psalm 51 gives us a beautiful example to follow and an accurate way to see our own sinfulness before a holy God:

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight… Create in me a clean heart, O God,     and renew a right^[b] spirit within me. ~ Psalm 51: 3-4 & 10

We need to come before the Lord knowing our need, knowing our weakness, knowing how prone we are to wander. Confessing and repenting of our own sinfulness. Our prayer life will greatly suffer if we are coming in pride or an unwillingness to confess our faults.

Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. ~ Proverbs 28:13

True and effective prayer takes laying down our own pride and self-reliance. We must follow the example of our sweet Savior, who, though God in the flesh, never ceased to come humbly before His Father in prayer.

Prayer Requires Patience

We love instant gratification, don’t we? We want what we want and we want it now. Amazon Prime is the perfect example. You make an order and five minutes later your doorbell rings. (Ok, so maybe that’s an exaggeration…but not by much!) We live in a society that hates to wait, that is patient for nothing. Everything is now. If I have to wait, then I don’t want it. We order food ahead so its ready when we go to pick it up, or better yet, have it delivered. We no longer have to go rent a movie (remember those days?), we now rent movies on demand, and can choose and be watching our film in the span of five minutes. We have microwaves and instant pots to save time in the kitchen. 15 minute workouts that promise the perfect body in a matter of weeks and pills to take off those unwanted pounds in the same amount of time. We wait for nothing.

And yet…

We are told time and time again, all throughout the scriptures, in so many references to prayer and seeking God throughout the journey of life….to wait upon the Lord. I can’t count how many times we see this in the word of God. We know he is faithful to hear and to answer the prayers of his children. But that does not always happen on our timeline. Over and over we are told to wait. Because truth be told, we all know that God seems to say wait far more often than an immediate yes or no. But we ought to be encouraged:

The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. ~ Lamentations 3:25-26

God is a good God. A patient God. A perfect God. He is never rushed. He is never in a hurry. His timing is absolutely flawless. We as humans see everything on the timeline of this short life and simply can’t understand what that is like…and finding patience when we want answers or results now, takes grace and help from our good and loving God. Being patient in prayer goes hand in hand with having faith in our Lord’s perfect timing and boundless wisdom.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. ~ Isaiah 55:8-9

Prayer Requires Surrender

“…Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” ~ Luke 22:42

Prayer is comforting. Prayer brings peace. But let’s be honest…sometimes prayer feels scary. Perhaps it shouldn’t…but when we pray as we ought that God’s will be done, sometimes it’s frightening because we don’t know what that is. In truth, we don’t need to be anxious, we don’t need to fear, because we know God is good. But when we realize how little control we truly have…it’s unnerving. We as humans like to feel as though we have a hand in what’s happening, that we have a say in how things will turn out. Prayer, God honoring prayer, requires surrender. A humble admission that God’s will is what matters most at the end of the day, no matter the desires of our hearts. God knows our desires and cares deeply for them. But his will is best and sometimes we won’t understand. And when we lay our requests before him, we are asking him to do what is good and right and best. He is already in control but our willing surrender is so pleasing to him and it changes the tone of every prayer we pray.

There are times I ask him to grow me in a particular area and I am scared to death as I pray that prayer because there are times the growing will be painful, much more painful than I wish it had to be.

I have experienced two instances in my life where I begged him to spare the life of someone I loved dearly. In one instance the Lord said yes and brought earthly healing. In the other he said no and chose a heavenly healing instead. He was just as good in both circumstances, and he brought healing to them both…but one situation brought my heart so much more pain than the other. When we pray, when we surrender, we know that this is sometimes the way of things. On this sinful earth we will have pain. In this fallen world we will not always understand why God answers our prayers in the manner he does. But we can know with absolute certainty that he is a good and kind God, and, as we surrender, we can take comfort in his holy word, by which he speaks to us and comforts our hearts:

For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men. ~ Lamentations 3:31-33

In Conclusion

When we realize that prayer requires faith, time, humility, patience and surrender…suddenly it’s not surprising that it can be difficult and that we must purpose to grow in these areas if we desire our prayer life to prosper. Prayer is not something we can or should take lightly. When we pray we take part in a spiritual battle and there is an enemy that will gladly keep us from it if at all possible.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ~ Luke 6:12

Some days prayer comes easy, some days prayer takes everything in us. But pray we must, in every circumstance. How can we claim to know and love our Lord if we don’t speak to him? If we don’t willingly lay before him our deepest desires, our most shameful struggles, our highest praise, and our sincere gratitude? By his unchanging, holy word he speaks to us, and by honest, heartfelt prayer we speak to him. And it’s a beautiful thing.

Application:

~ If you lack in your desire to pray… pray anyway. Ask and you shall receive.

~ If you’re doubting, ask him to strengthen your faith.

~ If you’re distracted, ask him for a heart and mind set on him.

~ If you’re busy, ask him to calm your anxious mind and heart.

~ If you’re struggling with pride, ask him to grant you a gentle and humble spirit.

~ If you’re walking in sin, ask him to convict your heart and grant you repentance.

~ If you’re struggling with his timing, ask him to grant you patience in the waiting.

~ If you have a sinful desire to control, ask him for a heart that trusts wholly in him.

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

~ Isaiah 26:3

Yes, prayer is a battle. But it’s a battle worth fighting. And blessing beyond measure will come in the victory.