[Home]

Chapter 2

Talking–and Listening–to God

     In Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest, there is a severe storm at sea.  A ship is sinking.  A sailor enters, crying aloud, “All lost! To prayers, to prayers! All lost!” In other words, the situation has become so hopeless that the only thing left to do is pray.

      Isn’t it true that we have a tendency to reserve prayer for moments of crisis?  Corrie ten Boom often posed this question to believers, “Is prayer your spare tire or your steering wheel?” 

      When we consider the essence of the Christian walk, we will realize that:

·        Prayer is as necessary in our lives as the air we breathe.

·        Prayer is not only the cornerstone of the Christian life—it is the Christian life.

      We know that God wants us to have a continuing relationship with Him.  We know that this can be done only through prayer.  So why do we pray so seldom?  What causes the gap between what we believe intellectually and what we do in practice?  Maybe we feel that God is too busy to deal with our mundane problems.  Maybe we feel we don’t need Him most of the time.  Maybe we lack the discipline required to have an effective prayer life.  But isn’t the basic reason because there are some things about prayer that we don’t understand? The question is, how do we get a better understanding of prayer?  There are more than 2,000 books in print on the subject of prayer.  Undoubtedly, many of them are helpful.  But none of them are essential.  Jesus didn’t tell us to learn everything we can about prayer.  After giving us a few prayer principles, He gave the command: “Pray.”  He wants us to start putting prayer into practice now.  No one ever became an athlete by mere instruction.  In all aspects of life we learn to do by doing.  It is when we pray that we begin to understand prayer.  The process of learning to pray should be thought of as on-the-job training under the tutelage of the right person.  Who is the right person?  Socrates taught that the right person from whom to learn the art of carpentry is the carpenter, and not the musician, and the right person from whom to learn the art of shoemaking is the shoemaker, and not the shipwright.  Jesus was not only the greatest prayer practitioner of all time, He was the greatest teacher.  Therefore, He is the “right” person from whom to learn the art of prayer. 

The Prayer Life of Jesus

      The Gospel writers were unanimous in depicting Jesus as a man of prayer.  At least 20 times they mention Jesus conversing with His Heavenly Father.  Matthew wrote that Jesus prayed at night (Matt. 14:23).  Mark wrote that He prayed in the early morning (Mark 1:35).  Luke wrote that He prayed all night (Luke 6:12).  John wrote that Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone (John 6:15).  The impression we get from all four gospels is that the prayer times of Jesus were not isolated instances; rather, they were a matter of habit.

      Throughout Jesus’ ministry, prayer preceded times of major decision.  Jesus prayed before going into the wilderness following His baptism, before choosing His 12 disciples, before confirming His deity to the disciples by walking on water and stilling the storm, and before deciding to leave Capernaum to preach in other places.  It seems that Jesus was in continual contact with the Father; He disciplined His mind to stay in tune with the ultimate source of spiritual power.

      Having set the example, Jesus was now ready to teach His disciples.  Even so, He didn’t abruptly spring a prayer lecture on them.  He waited until they became curious enough to ask Him about prayer.  He knew then that they were ready for a prayer lesson.  He told them that the hypocritical prayers of the Pharisees—calculated for pleasing the ears of man—were not true prayer.  He said that their prayers should not be like those of the pagans who engaged in meaningless and incessant jabbering, as when the priests of Baal repeated the same prayer phrase from early morning until noon.  In effect, Jesus was saying that prayer is not a routine duty to be performed “x” times per day.

The Prayer Jesus Gave Us

      Jesus then gave His disciples a model prayer to illustrate how they—and we—should pray.  This prayer, which most people know as the “Lord’s Prayer,” consists of about 60 words, depending on the translation.  It is concise, and yet so profound.  If we can grasp the full meaning of this prayer with all its implications, we won’t need to read any of the 2,000 or so books about prayer.

“Our Father in Heaven”

      From this opening phrase, we can infer that God wants us to have a family relationship with Him.  By this expression, Jesus is telling us that although God is far removed from us, He hears us, and cares for us as a Father!  His purpose is one of love.  The Apostle Paul marveled at this thought, and no wonder, because there is no record of any prayer in the Old Testament in which God is addressed as “Father.”  This was a new way of thinking about God which Jesus gave his disciples.  They had always known God as the Creator, the Supreme Ruler, the Judge, the Lord of Hosts or Lord of Battles, but the thought of Him as the Father in heaven was never in their minds.  In selecting this phrase, Jesus was telling his disciples that a warm and loving relationship with God was possible.

“Hallowed Be Thy Name”

      “Hallowed” means set apart as holy.  When we pray this sentence, in effect we are saying “Father, we acknowledge your holiness.”  God hallows His Name.  His glory is revealed everywhere, but our eyes are so blinded that we cannot perceive it.  Through this model prayer, Jesus wants our dull senses to be made alive to God’s presence, which continually speaks to us. We find this Presence in the works of nature, in marvelous events of the past, and in the works He is accomplishing still.  The Apostle Peter made this observation: “As He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do” (1 Peter 1:15).  When we repeat this phrase, we are affirming our intention to sanctify—set apart—every aspect of our life for God’s use. 

“Thy Kingdom Come”

      Jesus talked about the Kingdom more than any-thing else.  It was the core of His teaching curriculum.  Many of the parables pertain to the Kingdom.  What is the Kingdom?  For Jesus, the Kingdom of God was both the manifestation of a right relationship with God, here and now, and the ultimate rule of God to come at the end of the world.  These two ideas do not contradict each other.  We find in Scripture: “The Lord reigns,” and “The Lord Almighty will reign.”[1]  God has always ruled the world, and a time is coming when His power will be fully manifested.  But someone may say, “If the Kingdom is already here, why should we pray “Thy Kingdom come?”  Perhaps the meaning is “May the Kingdom be expanded.”  The Parable of the Mustard Seed, for example, illustrates how the Kingdom can grow exponentially from a small beginning.

      The prayers of the Apostles, almost without exception, concerned the Kingdom—not themselves.  The only record we have of Paul praying for himself is in 2 Corinthians 12: 8-9, when he asked God three times to remove some physical defect.  God’s answer was, “My grace is all you need; power comes to its full strength in weakness.”  And what was Paul’s reaction to this?  In spite of his physical debilitation and numerous other obstacles—shipwreck, imprisonment, beatings—he persevered in doing what God wanted him to do.  He preached the Good News at every opportunity.  He made others aware of the Kingdom, and as a result, the Kingdom was greatly expanded.

All of the Apostles were up against great odds, but their primary focus was on expanding the Kingdom.  Although our problems today are different, our primary focus should be the same.  We should work with God to help expand the Kingdom, while at the same time, hope for the Kingdom which is yet to come.  It is certain that this future Kingdom will come, and it will come in God’s good time.

“Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”

      This petition is similar to the request, “Thy Kingdom come.”  In reality, we are asking for the willingness to submit ourselves to God.  We are saying, “Father, let your will be done in and through me.”  As we seek to know His will, and do our little part, we remind ourselves that God will assert His will.  That’s what happened at Gethsemane.  Jesus prayed, “Father, everything is possible for you.  Take this cup from me.  Yet not what I will but what you will.”[2]  Together, these two phrases, “Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done” express the true essence of prayer.

“Give us this day our daily bread”

      The word “bread” as used here is a metaphor not only for food, but for all of the physical, emotional and spiritual gifts God provides to us each day for our sustenance.  When we repeat this phrase, we are confessing our dependence upon the generosity of God.  We are acknowledging that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17 NIV).

      This petition can be an antidote for anxiety.  Suppose we are aware of an upcoming demand upon us.  No matter how carefully we have prepared for the situation, there is a veil of uncertainty as to the outcome. It is our human nature to be anxious. But when we recall that God has been our Bread of Life in the past, we can confidently conclude that He will not desert us now, and therefore, we can be relaxed about the outcome of the situation in question.

“And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have

sinned against us.”

      Jesus made it clear that if we don’t forgive those who sin against us, our Heavenly Father will not forgive our sins.  He elaborated on this in the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18), in which a king called together his servants.  One servant owed him a lot of money.  Since the man was not able to pay the debt, the king ordered that all his possessions be sold to pay it.  The servant fell on his knees and begged for patience, and promised to pay his debt.  The master took pity on him and canceled his debt, and let him go.

      Later, that servant encountered one of his fellow-servants who owed him a small amount of money.  He grabbed this fellow by the throat, and began to choke him, while demanding payment.  His fellow-servant fell to his knees.  He begged for patience, and promised to pay his debt.  But the unmerciful servant refused, and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay his debt.  When the other servants learned what had happened, they were upset, and told the master everything that had happened.  The master called in the unmerciful servant, and said, in essence, “I can’t believe what you have done!  I canceled that huge debt of yours, because you begged me to do so.  Shouldn’t you have shown mercy to your fellow-servant who owed you very little?”  He then turned the unmerciful servant over to the jailers.

      Jesus summarized the parable by saying, “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brethren from the heart.”  The implication of the parable is that God has done so much for us, it is inconceivable that we would not forgive one of His loved ones (which includes everyone).  As parents, we understand this; we are unhappy when our children are unforgiving toward each other.

      Corrie ten Boom told of her struggle to forgive the Nazi guard who was so cruel to her and her sister Betsie.  If Corrie could not have forgiven him, it would have been understandable.  She was able to forgive him, but only because of the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.  One of the supernatural aspects of the Christian life is the capacity to give and receive forgiveness.  Jesus made it clear that we cannot receive something that we are not willing to give to others.

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

      We might wonder why Jesus would tell us to pray that God not lead us into temptation.  Would God ever lead us into temptation?  The meaning could be, “Lord, you lead us; then we won’t fall into temptation.”  In any case, it is our responsibility to keep ourselves under the protective influence of God’s word and Spirit.  When we repeat this phrase, we are reminding ourselves of the deadly spiritual conflict going on in the world.  This prayer phrase is a battle petition.  Jesus knew that the power of the enemy would be unleashed against His disciples as it had been against Him.

      The testimony of some of the heroes of the faith is that Satan’s attacks are so strong they can almost be felt physically.  Martin Luther once felt Satan’s presence so intensely that he threw an ink bottle at him!  Luther gave the embattled church a magnificent hymn—“A Mighty Fortress.”[3]  One translation of the first stanza is as follows:

      A mighty fortress is our God,

      A bulwark never failing;

      Our helper He amid the flood

      Of mortal ills prevailing.

      For still our ancient foe,

      Doth seek to work us woe;

      His craft and power are great,

      And armed with cruel hate,

      On earth is not his equal.

      The words of this hymn remind us that although our enemy is powerful—beyond our strength—we have nothing to fear because we have a Deliverer who is far more powerful, and He will be with us in both life and death.

      The Apostle Paul, in an exhortation to the church at Ephesus, tells us how we are to conduct ourselves in our spiritual battles with the enemy:

      Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms.  Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

—Ephesians 6:10-13 (NIV)

      The imagery Paul depicts is that of an individual who is anticipating attacks from powerful beings in the unseen world.  As we await the “day of evil” (Satanic attacks), our attitude should be one of constant vigilance.

“For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.”

      This last sentence of the prayer is our acknowledgment that, in essence, God is everything.  Paul elaborated on this theme in his letter to the Church in Rome:

Oh, the depth of the riches

Of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgments,

And his paths beyond tracing out!

“Who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been his counselor?”

“Who has ever given to God,

That God should repay him?”

For from him and through him

And to him are all things.

To him be the glory forever!  Amen.   

—Romans 11:33-36 (NIV)

The Problem of Familiarity with the Disciples’ Prayer

      Our problem with the prayer Jesus gave us is that in repeating it so often, we say the words without thinking what they mean. We can overcome this problem if we will paraphrase the prayer in our own words.  The following is an example:

·        Father in Heaven

·        Hallowed, Holy, set apart, is Your name.  This implies that my life should be set apart for Your use.

·        May your Kingdom be expanded; may your will be done on earth—starting with me.

·        Father, you know my needs.  I know that Your grace is sufficient for all of them.  Fill my cup according to your prescription, as you have done in the past—and for this I thank you.

·        Forgive my sins.  I know that your Son died on the cross for the sins of the world, but I also know that I must do my part—namely, to forgive those who have sinned against me.

·        Lead me by the unbeatable combination of your Word and Spirit so that I don’t fall into temptation.  Deliver me from evil.  I know that the enemy is strong—far stronger than I—but I also know that he is no match for you.

·        For Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory, forever.  Amen.

      A personalized paraphrase of the Disciple’s Prayer is a good way to talk to God.  It’s good because it is based on the model prayer given to us by the greatest prayer practitioner and the greatest teacher of all time.  And as we paraphrase this profound prayer, we are expressing it in words that are meaningful to us.  I am convinced that anyone who paraphrases the prayer Jesus gave us, and uses it regularly, will improve the effectiveness of his or her prayer life. 

      Leslie Weatherhead (1893-1976), minister of the City Temple in London, England, was easily one of the best known ministers in the world.  He was a man who believed in the Living Christ.  The following excerpt about prayer is from his book, Thinking Aloud in War Time, Dec. 1939 (pp. 96-97):

Never stop praying

When in doubt, pray.  You may offer a foolish prayer, a sentimental prayer, a prayer that God cannot answer as you want it answered (obviously He can’t give victory to both sides[4])…But don’t let any scruples of this sort stop you from praying.  You are God’s child, in God’s world, and God loves you and longs for you more than you have ever wanted Him in your life.  He is not going to turn a deaf ear to you because you have not prayed lately, or because you have not thought your way through things…If you feel the impulse to pray…then pray.  Tell God that you don’t believe much in prayer, and you don’t quite know what you want, or how to ask for it, or if it’s any good asking for anything.  For one of the great objects of prayer is that God and you should be brought together.  Pour out your heart and all its worries to Him without waiting to know if the kind of answer you want is scientifically possible…Don’t let anything stop you.  Pray!

      In the following chapter are some questions and answers on the subject of prayer.

[Home]