Ringing the Churchbell (pt3)

(originally posted: 11-09-2021)

The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous. The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat. The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise.

One more time: The ear…that heareth…the reproof of life…abideth …among the wise.

He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.

(Proverbs 15:29-32)

Prayer. Nothing more powerful this side of Heaven, and the Christian has no better weapon. Let’s look at just a few of the very literally, dozens, of verses in the Bible about prayer.

1John 5:14-15 – And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His Will, He heareth us: And if we know that He hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.

2Chronicles 7:14 – If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

James 5:13 – Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

The confidence we have in Him, the depth of our faith so to speak, is directly tied into the power and effectiveness of our prayers. There is real POWER in the act of prayer.

God hears our prayers when we seek Him out in prayer, repent of our wicked ways, and turn away from our sins.

And, (personally I love this) singing to our God, can be a form of prayer according to James. I say it “can be” only under the same terms as prayer is ever heard by the Father.

And Jesus taught us how to pray in Matthew 6:

Matthew 6:7 – But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Before then teaching us what to pray two verses later when he gave us what we refer to as, The Lord’s Prayer.

Let’s read a couple more.

Psalms 141:2-5 – Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties. Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.

Now that is one butt-kicking prayer right there! You can’t hardly call out to God what you need and why no more honestly and directly than that. So God digs prayers that get right to the main point? Wouldn’t that mean that He wants us to keep it short? No, God would like nothing better than if we were all to remain in a constant state of prayer; what He means is, stay focused. If we can’t find the words, we needn’t chase them around in our heads, He already knows our needs, and if you’ve just got nothing, then just move on, and come back later.

Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.(James 5:17-18)

Do you see? Elijah was a righteous man, who prayed fervently, and stopped the rains from falling for three and half years! And again kneeling in prayer before Holy God, he prayed once more, and it rained, and the whole of the earth gave forth fruit for us to eat.

We do not need special programs every few weeks, we do not need new ideas every few months, nor do we need “vision-casting” at all, we need nothing but a full and committed movement of prayer – and that my brethren, is something that every single one of us CAN do.