Daniel 6:10
‘..he (Daniel) went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.’
1 Samuel 10, 12-13
‘In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord… As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard..’Quantity and quality
Many things measure what kind of person we are, from our actions to our words, to our thoughts. As a believer, we are commanded to align all three to God’s character. We do this through the work of the Holy Spirit. We would be deceiving ourselves if we thought this was possible through human efforts. To love others, to deny ourselves, to pray daily is an act of submitting ourselves to God. Sadly it does not always come naturally, so we need God’s help. One area where the Spirit transforms our hearts and our will is in the practice of prayer, or our life of prayer. Whatever your prayer life is at this moment, I challenge you and myself to pray more. What you pray for is just as important as how much you pray. When it comes to prayer, quantity and quality matter. Quality isn’t about eloquent words and sounding sophisticated. It’s about who and what you are praying for. We have to submit to the Holy Spirit when it comes to praying. Are we praying for our authorities, for our neighbors (near and far), for the poor, for unbelievers, for our nations, for our families? How much of our prayers consist of these?
Daniel prayed three times a day. Not because he had the time, but because he knew how much he needed to be on his knees. You may think you don’t have time to pray, but that’s not an acceptable excuse is it? We always make time for what its important. Prayer isn’t about just doing your duty as a believer. Do you want to grow in Christ? Do you want to stand for God’s Truth, for His glory, for His name? Then it starts by being on your knees. Before we can stand boldly, we must bow humbly. Yes there is so much to pray for that it gets overwhelming, and that’s why we must pray more and more. Being organized and keeping a prayer journal can help you stay focused and faithful. We must pray without ceasing; this means we cultivate a life of prayer. We pray in the car, we pray in the shower, we pray at church, we pray when we are with others, we pray. Can you imagine how prayer can transform our thoughts, the way see others, and how we see ourselves? Prayer is not for God, it’s for us. It’s there to communicate, to plead, and to humble ourselves to God through the Holy Spirit. “It is good to have our hours of prayer, not to bind, but to remind conscience; and, if we think our bodies require refreshment by food thrice a day, can we think seldomer will serve our souls? This is surely as little as may be to answer the command of praying always….Though he was a man of business, vast business, for the service of the public, he did not think that would excuse him from the daily exercises of devotion. How inexcusable then are those who have but little to do in the world, and yet will not do thus much for God and their souls!” (Matthew Henry)
Hannah was a faithful prayer servant. She prayed so long and fervently, believing that God could do what she asked. And when God did grant her prayer of a child, she gave him back to the Lord. How is that possible except through the power of the Holy Spirit working in her prayers? “I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord." (1 Samuel 1:27-28) We must understand how much power prayer holds when it’s done in faith. Whether it’s praying like Daniel on his knees or like Hannah crying out, we are to pray without ceasing and we are to pray every day.
‘..he (Daniel) went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.’
1 Samuel 10, 12-13
‘In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord… As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard..’Quantity and quality
Many things measure what kind of person we are, from our actions to our words, to our thoughts. As a believer, we are commanded to align all three to God’s character. We do this through the work of the Holy Spirit. We would be deceiving ourselves if we thought this was possible through human efforts. To love others, to deny ourselves, to pray daily is an act of submitting ourselves to God. Sadly it does not always come naturally, so we need God’s help. One area where the Spirit transforms our hearts and our will is in the practice of prayer, or our life of prayer. Whatever your prayer life is at this moment, I challenge you and myself to pray more. What you pray for is just as important as how much you pray. When it comes to prayer, quantity and quality matter. Quality isn’t about eloquent words and sounding sophisticated. It’s about who and what you are praying for. We have to submit to the Holy Spirit when it comes to praying. Are we praying for our authorities, for our neighbors (near and far), for the poor, for unbelievers, for our nations, for our families? How much of our prayers consist of these?
Daniel prayed three times a day. Not because he had the time, but because he knew how much he needed to be on his knees. You may think you don’t have time to pray, but that’s not an acceptable excuse is it? We always make time for what its important. Prayer isn’t about just doing your duty as a believer. Do you want to grow in Christ? Do you want to stand for God’s Truth, for His glory, for His name? Then it starts by being on your knees. Before we can stand boldly, we must bow humbly. Yes there is so much to pray for that it gets overwhelming, and that’s why we must pray more and more. Being organized and keeping a prayer journal can help you stay focused and faithful. We must pray without ceasing; this means we cultivate a life of prayer. We pray in the car, we pray in the shower, we pray at church, we pray when we are with others, we pray. Can you imagine how prayer can transform our thoughts, the way see others, and how we see ourselves? Prayer is not for God, it’s for us. It’s there to communicate, to plead, and to humble ourselves to God through the Holy Spirit. “It is good to have our hours of prayer, not to bind, but to remind conscience; and, if we think our bodies require refreshment by food thrice a day, can we think seldomer will serve our souls? This is surely as little as may be to answer the command of praying always….Though he was a man of business, vast business, for the service of the public, he did not think that would excuse him from the daily exercises of devotion. How inexcusable then are those who have but little to do in the world, and yet will not do thus much for God and their souls!” (Matthew Henry)
Hannah was a faithful prayer servant. She prayed so long and fervently, believing that God could do what she asked. And when God did grant her prayer of a child, she gave him back to the Lord. How is that possible except through the power of the Holy Spirit working in her prayers? “I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord." (1 Samuel 1:27-28) We must understand how much power prayer holds when it’s done in faith. Whether it’s praying like Daniel on his knees or like Hannah crying out, we are to pray without ceasing and we are to pray every day.
“As every day demands its bread, so every day demands its prayers.
No amount of praying done today will suffice for tomorrow’s praying.”
E.M Bounds
