Praying

 Recently, when I read through the book of Acts looking specifically at every mention of prayer, I was supposed to ask these 3 questions at each instance:  (1) what did they pray?, (2) how long did  they pray? and especially (3) what would have happened if they didn't pray?

There are instances where the prayer is actually pretty much recorded, so we know what they prayed and about how long they prayed (Acts 1:24-25; 4:24-30; 7:59,60; 8:15) and others where we don't really don't know the answers to those 2 questions (13:3; 16:25; 21:5; 28:8).  

The haunting question, though, is the third one...what would have happened if they hadn't prayed?  How many things have not happened because we haven't prayed?  In a blog not long ago, I was quoting the lyrics of the song, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus", and pointed out the line "What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer."

I read an on-line devotional by Andrew Wommack, and yesterday's was titled "Petition, Not Repetition".  It was based on Mark 8:22-25..."Then He came to Bethsaida, and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him.  So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town.  And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, 'I see men like trees, walking.' Then He put His hands on his eyes again, and made him look up.  And he was restored, and saw everyone clearly."  Here is much of the devotional:

"It is unusual for Jesus to inquire about the results of His ministry as He did in verse 23.  It was even more unusual that Jesus laid hands on this man a second time.  This is the only example in the New Testament where Jesus had to minister to any need more than once to affect a total healing.

"Many people request things from God and then look at their circumstances to see if God answered their prayer.  That is walking by sight and not by faith.  If they can't 'see' God's answer, then they pray again asking for the same thing.  This is not the way Jesus taught us to pray and receive.  We can be certain that Jesus didn't lay hands on this man a second time because He thought His Father hadn't heard Him the first time.  Since the man received partial sight, it is evident that God's healing power was at work in him.  Jesus was not petitioning the Father again for healing.  Through His spirit, Jesus knew that unbelief was hindering a perfect manifestation of God's power in this man, and He simply gave him another 'dose' of the anointing power of God.

"Satan may hinder, but cannot overcome someone who continues resisting him.  Believe that you receive when you pray and continue to apply the power of God..."

In Acts 9:40, Peter has been brought in to raise up a dead woman in Joppa, and he "put them all out, and knelt down and prayed.  And turning to the body he said, 'Tabitha, arise.'  And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat sup."  We don't know what he prayed, nor how long he prayed, but it seems highly likely that she wouldn't have been raised from the dead if he hadn't.  Did he pray for his own faith to overcome any hints of unbelief, or for leading in exactly how God wanted him to proceed, or something else?

If we look at our own prayers, they are probably quite different from any prayers in the Bible.  We don't see Paul's prayers ever being "bless me" or "bless this or that" or "be with me' and yet that is what I hear people praying all the time.  Paul's prayers in the book of Ephesians would be wonderful ones for us to imitate...for "the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of (God), the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, (so) that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of His inheritance in the saints (that's us) and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe..." and "that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory (and not according to our own level of performance) to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 1:17-19 and 3:16-19).  

So this is a bit of a kick in the butt for myself and the rest of you to be "continuing steadfastly in prayer" (Romans 12:12) and "in everything by prayer and supplication, with (plenty of) thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God...(Philippians 4:6), to believe the faithful promises of God and not keep checking in with our circumstances and symptoms, and to remember, if we don't pray, we can't expect results.

(Again, in quoting the Scriptures, I have added parenthetical comments, italics, and whatever!)