I would be remiss if I spent this entire book talking up the blessings and benefits of prayer without also addressing the polar opposite— prayerlessness. In today’s culture, as Christians find themselves constantly ridiculed for their beliefs and practices, it’s not hard to connect the dots and understand why so few people actually pray. What’s especially sad is that Christians rarely communicate with others about how prayer impacts their daily lives. As if we think only the miraculous prayers are worthy of mention. If someone isn’t cured from cancer or a missing child isn’t returned safely home, we assume our prayers aren’t “big” enough to share with others.
Or perhaps you understand the nuts and bolts of prayer, but admit that this whole prayer thing just isn’t your style. The idea of spending time alone with God is just too weird for you, so you’ve decided you’ll take your chances and go it alone.
I’m truly sorry to hear that. I’ve clearly blown my opportunity on these pages to help you understand this amazing gift called prayer. I’m sorry because you’re missing out on one of the greatest blessings you’ll ever know.
But just so you know, you’re a walking lightning rod for trouble. Consider yourself warned.
A friend once told me about teaching a class at a Christian conference and retreat center. One day after class, one of her class members approached her. He introduced himself and said he was the pastor of a small church in another state. He explained that before he left home he told his congregation that upon his return, he was going to throw out everything they were doing as a church and start practicing some new methods of doing church. My friend was shocked to hear such a declaration. She asked him the first thing that came to her mind. “How are you praying about such drastic measures?” He quickly informed her—in these exact words—“Oh, I’m not much into prayer.”
What? I was flabbergasted when she told me that. How could a pastor, called by God to shepherd a group of believers, not pray? Naturally, I came up with all kinds of witty, sarcastic responses if he’d said such a thing to me. “Kinda full of yourself, aren’t you, Pastor No-Pray? Who made you God?” I still get rattled just thinking about the audacity of such a statement. A pastor who doesn’t pray? Please. Is it any wonder so many churches wither on the vine and have to close their doors because no one comes? Is it any wonder we’re so clueless about prayer if our church leaders don’t lead by example? Granted, he is just one pastor from one small church. But we all know of churches that are forever split and damaged by pastors who have strayed far from their calling. It’s a dangerous position to be in.
Prayerlessness. It’s a mouthful, but I have to admit the mere thought of it scares the bejeebies out of me. I wonder what a life totally void of prayer is like. It’s one thing to be an atheist who doesn’t believe in God, let alone prayer. It’s something else entirely to be a believer who doesn’t pray.
One of the best examples of prayerlessness I’ve come across is described in the book I mentioned earlier called Just Give Me Jesus by Anne Graham Lotz.1 She sets the scene for us. Jesus has just completed what would later be known as the Lord’s Supper with His disciples. He knows what is about to happen. He knows Judas will betray Him, leading the Roman soldiers to arrest Him. He knows He will be beaten and mocked and nailed to a cross where His physical body will die. Knowing all this, how does Jesus spend His last remaining hours on earth?
He prays.
He takes His disciples with Him to the garden, a place where He often prays. Once there, He tells his disciples to pray “that you may not enter into temptation.” I bet the disciples were perplexed at that instruction, don’t you? Then again, they were probably used to similar requests from Him. So Jesus leaves them there and goes just a little further where He kneels to pray one of the most heart wrenching prayers ever recorded.
“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” . . . And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat was like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
—Luke 22:42, 44, ESV
Again, Christ knew what was about to transpire, so He readied himself by pouring out His heart before God.
The disciples? Sound asleep. Snoozing away just a few feet from the Lord. Finding them conked out, Jesus scolds them and tells them once again to pray. Can’t you see Him shaking His head, wondering why they can’t just do what He asked them to? A little while later, He returns and finds them snoring up a storm. Again.
But this time it’s too late. At that moment Judas arrives with soldiers and a crowd of priests and other accusers. Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss, selling the Son of God for thirty pieces of silver. But Jesus was prayed up. He didn’t fight them or try to make a run for it; He simply allowed it to happen because He knew it was all part of God’s will.
The disciples were a whole different story. Lotz puts it this way:
As the disciples, still rubbing sleep from their eyes, had grasped what was happening, they had abruptly reacted by scurrying in every direction.2
Well that’s just great, guys. You sleep on the job, then at the first sign of trouble, you run away like a bunch of wimps. All except for one, that is.
Peter, who had been sleeping when he should have been praying and therefore did not have a clue what the will of God was in this situation, charged the soldiers with his drawn sword. He swiped viciously at the nearest head but only managed to shave off the right ear of Malchus, servant to the high priest. What in the world was Peter doing? . . . Whatever he might have been thinking, the real reason for his rash behavior was prayerlessness.3
What a bonehead! What a sorry excuse for a disciple. And what a stupid thing to do when surrounded by a bunch of armed soldiers. Way to go, Peter. We’ll just call you King of the Knee Jerk. Guess you showed them, didn’t you?
With all the commotion, Jesus could have easily slipped away from the crowd and made the greatest escape in all of history. But that thought probably never crossed His mind. He immediately scolded Peter—again—shouting, “No more of this!” (Luke 22:51a). Then Jesus touched the ear of Malchus, and his ear was healed. I wonder what the angry, accusing crowd thought when they witnessed that miracle? Evidently they weren’t too impressed because they still demanded that Jesus be arrested. And, well, you know the rest of the story.
Back up a minute. Tell me something. Be honest. It felt good pointing fingers at those lazy disciples, didn’t it? They were the Chosen, hanging out with the Son of God, for crying out loud. And they couldn’t keep their eyes open, even for a little while, after the aforementioned Son of God told them to pray? What a bunch of losers. As for Peter? C’mon, admit it. You joined right in when I blasted him for that ridiculous stunt in the garden, cutting off that guy’s ear. Anyone with a lick of sense would know that wouldn’t help a thing, right?
But hold on. If we’re completely honest, don’t you and I pull some of those same stunts? Aren’t we just as guilty as those sleeping disciples? If we’re believers in Christ, we’ve been commanded to pray. Yet just how faithful are we about praying? We’ve already discussed the multitude of lame excuses we all use. Hey, I’m as guilty as anyone. I still fight this call to prayer as much as the next guy. I’ve ’fessed up about my struggle to stay focused in those few minutes I allot God each day. And yes—I, Diane Hale Moody, do hereby admit that I have been known to fall asleep while praying. It happens. I stand guilty before you.
There. I said it.
Now it’s your turn. Pull back that accusatory finger and take a good long look at yourself. Have you fallen asleep on the job like these disciples? Like me? Have you ignored the urgent call to pray, like these disciples, thereby sabotaging the spiritual preparation for whatever might lie ahead of you?
I’ve mentioned that my husband runs an Internet filtering company called Hedgebuilders. This service makes it possible to block pornographic sites on the Internet. Originally designed as a Christian filtering service, Hedgebuilders offers this service at cost for tho
se in the ministry. In addition to its regular customers, these ministerial customers include churches, Christian schools, missionaries, pastors, ministers, and many more from all around the world. Rarely a day goes by that Ken doesn’t spend time counseling individuals—or their spouses—who are addicted to pornography. The anonymity of the Internet kicked down the last door for those people who would never think to go near an adult bookstore or browse the pages of Playboy. Now, with a few clicks, some of the most provocative pictures and videos are available to anyone who wants to find them, all in complete privacy.
Therein lies the problem. The Bible tells us the enemy prowls the earth “like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). What better target than those called as God’s messengers—pastors, Bible teachers, Christian school teachers, and the thousands of missionaries around the globe? You can almost hear the enemy whispering in their ears . . .
Go on. No one’s looking. You work hard. You deserve a little fun now and then. You’re not hurting anyone! What could possibly be wrong with gazing at the beauty of God’s creation? After all, God designed sexual desire, right? He formed those bodies, didn’t He? Go ahead. Your secret’s safe with me . . .
And so it begins. An addiction so powerful some of the most admired preachers of our time have admitted to its stronghold and the damage it has caused them in their ministry, their marriages, and their personal walk with the Lord.
But long, long ago Jesus showed us precisely how to handle the temptations we face in our lives.
He prayed.
After His baptism, Jesus spent forty days and forty nights in the desert fasting and praying. Satan watched and waited, giving those hunger pangs plenty of time to weaken Jesus. Then he approached the Son of God, tempting Him three different times. Each time, Jesus readily rebuked him, quoting scripture to put him in his place, until the enemy finally departed. Jesus withstood the enticements and lures of the evil one because He had prayed (Matthew 4).
Easy for Him, you say. After all, He is the Son of God. You’re exactly right. He is God’s Son. But He was both fully God and fully human. Meaning, He experienced physical hunger and loneliness and fatigue and heartache and every other human frailty. He experienced all those things and more. And in doing so, He exemplified how we too must handle the temptations we encounter in our lives.
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
—1 Corinthians 10:13, ESV
He’s been there. He knows. And He’s provided for our every need. If only we’ll be obedient. If only we’ll stay on our knees before God, arming ourselves with His protection and His power and strength to withstand any temptation. If only we’ll heed His call to pray.
If only.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
—2 TIMOTHY 1:7, NKJV