The Biblical Spiritual Discipline of Prayer

This week in Biblical Spirituality, I had the delight to hear about various methods to invigorate and keep a fruitful prayer life. Dr. Whitney was engaging and comforting, desiring to both encourage the weary Christian and give practical applications to pray. Prayer is one of the most important spiritual disciplines alongside bible reading. It is the taproot of our spiritual lives, without it and we flounder. So with that, let’s observe three elements to both encourage and invigorate our prayer lives.

Prayer Is Prescribed

“And when you pray…. (Matthew 6:5a)

In Matthew’s gospel, there are three chapters that are called the “Sermon on the Mount”. It’s a synopsis of a sermon that the Lord Jesus Christ had preached concerning discipleship, what a Christian ought to be like. The 6th chapter begins with instruction on prayer, and the first thing that Jesus says is, “When you pray”. Prayer is an expectation and reality in the Christian’s life. In a very real sense, Jesus died so that we can pray. We were at enmity with God, and because of our sin God in His holiness would not hear our prayers. Jesus death and resurrection brought us back into right relationship with him, and now in Christ God does here our prayers! Have you thought about the penalty he paid so that we can have this privilege to pray? So then, let’s heed this prescription by the Son of God to pray.

Prayer Is Personal

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Mt 6:6)

This particular verse speaks against outward, public prayer that is for the praise of man, and not for the worship, exaltation, and intercession to the Living God. But notice the Father’s heart for prayer. He desires for us to spend time alone with Him. Prayer is a personal encounter with the personal God. Instead of “sounding good” for others or placating God with words we think He wants to hear, he encourages His children to come to him and spend “alone time” with him. Consider how the psalmist exhorts us to “pour out our hearts before Him” (Ps 62:8), are we?

Prayer’s Promise

“Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks the door will be open.” (Mt 7:7-8)

In a cold wintry night in the middle of 19th century England, a child who recently lost both of her parents to the Cholera outbreak became homeless, forced to wander the streets. The clothes she wore were beginning to wear out and she was terribly hungry. Alone, cold, and frightened, she began knocking on each door as she went by hoping that somebody would hear and help her. Desperate, she began crying, begging that somebody would open the door. “Please, somebody please help me!” she exclaimed, but with no reponse. But when all seemed to be at loss, she heard in the distance someone calling out to her. “Are you okay, little girl?” the stranger asked. Without words, and tears streaming down her face, she ran to the stranger and threw herself onto him. “Help me.” she whispered. The stranger, knowing the pitiful condition she was in, and full of compassion, drew her inside. This is a picture of our desperate condition with God, and his heart to help those who know it.

Notice the promises in two verses shared in response to our prayers. First, it says “your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Second, it says “Ask, and you shall receive. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and it will be opened.” Think about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit, opening their door for you? The prescribed, personal, promise-filled prayer with the living God who gives us life and breath and our being, answered. Opening the door into the unseen realm, giving us the nourishment our souls need.