THE second example which Jesus presents to us concerning our spiritual life as Christians is the subject of prayer. Again Jesus presents this important activity in our lives in relationship to the teaching of his time, which was seen in the teaching of the Jewish leaders of that time, whom he calls here hypocrites; but Jesus is not simply correcting error, but also presenting to us the nature, privilege and wonder of this great activity of prayer.

Jesus commences with the words “When you pray”. By this we see that prayer is not an option in the Christians life, but an essential part of it. Christians pray. If we do not pray then there is something wrong. Prayer is a great test of the reality of our Christian profession. Anybody who is religious says prayers. All religions include the practice of saying prayers. However, the whole point about prayer is that we communicate with God. Prayer if it is real is talking and communicating with God. Simply saying our prayers is not talking to God or with God, but simply talking at God. We can say prayers with the hope that God is hearing, and even with the belief that he hears us, but real praying that comes from real Christian life is a conversation with God. The whole matter of Christian salvation is that through Christ we are reconciled to God, and have been raised to new life, and have been adopted into the family of God, and so we know God, love God, and have fellowship with God. At the moment of conversion and new birth all these wonderful privileges may not be understood, but the fact is that life has been given us, and so we find we begin to show that life in prayer. When a new born baby enters into the world the first sign of life is that the baby cries. The same is true of the Christian. The moment we are born again, we show our new life by crying to God. The evidence that Paul was a Christian was that he prayed. When Annanias was fearful of going near Paul when asked to by the Holy Spirit, he was told that he was praying. By this Annanias knew that Paul had ceased to hate Christians and had become one with them. This fact of praying is unique to Christianity, and reveals that it is the real thing. Only in Christ are we brought near to God.

Having said all this, there is no question about the fact that Christians experience great difficulty in prayer. Because it is the highest of spiritual activities, it is the activity which is most attacked by Satan. He does all he can to hinder and ruin our communion with God. This is why we have so much difficulty. Satan excites our corrupt flesh to hinder us in praying, so we find the love of earthly things attract us away from prayer. Also we find that when we pray, all sorts of thoughts crowd into our minds which hinder our communion with God. Satan will distract us if he can. Further Satan is an expert in causing sins of all kinds to creep into our prayers, some of which Jesus points out as being what appeared in the practice of the hypocrites in prayer in the Jewish culture.

Because prayer is communion with God, it is much wider in its scope than simply asking God for things. However we should not despise asking, which we call intercession, because Jesus makes clear in his example prayer, that asking is an essential and major activity in prayer. As children we depend on our heavenly Father for all things, whether it is spiritual needs or temporal needs, and we give glory to God by trusting in him for the provision of them. However intercession is not all of prayer. In the example prayer we have worship, and adoration. Because we seek forgiveness in prayer, there must also be confession of sin.

Prayer is also listening, and because of this, seeking God in his Word, the Bible, and listening to God as we read the Bible. Looking for the Holy Spirit to speak to us, is also an essential part of prayer. Prayer is spending time in the presence of God. Nor must we suppose that to do this we must always and only be praying at what we may call a time set aside for prayer. Such times are good, but if we are true believers we shall find ourselves opening our hearts to God frequently throughout each day. Sometimes it may be a burst of praise or thanksgiving. Sometimes it will be a desperate cry for help. Other times it will be that we want to dwell in the presence of our God. There are so many different things in life which draw out prayer in the believer, and such spontaneous praying should not be despised, and should be embraced.

It is important to realise that we are all different, and so how and when we pray will be different to us all. We should not be cast down and in despair when we hear of the prayer activity of others, in contrast to which we seem not to have begun to pray. I have suffered from such a problem all my life, and still do. Others seem to be able to pray and practice prayer in a way that seems so much greater than anything I have been able to reach. However what I do know is that I can’t live without prayer, and that though I find formal times of prayer so difficult, I want to and need to pray continually because I am lost without God ordering my life, and meeting my needs.