Praying And Waiting
DELIVERED ON SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 23, 1864 BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the
Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life and that you
may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence
that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He
hears us: and if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know
that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." 1 John 5:13-15.
THE beloved Apostle John here addresses himself to those who have
believed on the Son of God. And having himself ascended the high hill
of fellowship with Jesus, he labors to conduct his fellow Believers up
three glorious ascents of the mount of God. I think I see before me now
three shining ladders and with the Glory of God reflected from his
brow, I see John, like an angel of God, conducting the Lord's Jacobs up
the glittering rounds. The first ascent he would have them take is from
faith to the full assurance of faith.
He writes to them as Believers and he says, "These things have I
written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you
may know that you have eternal life." As Believers, they had eternal
life, for, "He that believes on the Son of God has everlasting life,"
and shall never come into condemnation. Yes, "He that lives and
believes in Christ, though he were dead, yet should he live." But it is
one thing to have eternal life and another thing to know that we have
eternal life.
In the third verse of the second chapter of this very Epistle, this
Apostle draws a distinction between knowing Christ and knowing that we
know Him, for he writes, "Hereby we do know that we know Him, if we
keep His Commandments." A man may know Christ in his heart and yet at
certain seasons, through weakness ofjudgment or stress of temptations,
he may be cast into doubts as to whether he has any saving knowledge of
the Lord Jesus at all. But he alone is happy, who, building upon the
sure foundation of God's promise, gives all diligence to make his
calling and election sure and enjoys an assured confidence of his
interest in Christ.
I know there are some who do not like us to draw any distinction
between faith and assurance. But the more I think upon the subject the
more I am compelled to do it–not for the encouragement of
unbelief–but for the consolation of those weaklings of the flock who,
upon another ground must be rejected altogether since their trembling
faith has never, as yet, ripened into assurance. Believers who have
observed their own experience must have noticed that even when they can
cast themselves in all simplicity upon Christ Jesus and consequently
have a right to be confident of their own safety– yet even then they
cannot at all times enjoy the comfortable persuasion of security
because their minds are distracted and Satan has gained an advantage
over them.
They trust their God, but it is with something of the spirit of Job
when he said, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." The shadow
of the dark thought that perhaps you may prove an apostate darkens your
path and you cling to the Lord, not with a joyful assurance which can
say, "He is mine," but with that desperate faith which cries, "I must
believe, for otherwise there is nothing before me but destruction!" "To
whom shall I go but unto You, for You have the words of eternal life!"
Even the strongest of saints must be led, I think, in their experience
to observe that while always believing they are not always assured.
This must certainly be the case with the weaker ones and the beginners.
I know faith is a sureness concerning the Truth of God. I cheerfully
accept the definition. But I must bid you observe that there is a
difference between being sure of the Truth of God and being sure that I
am a partaker of Divine Life. I come to Christ not knowing whether He
died especially for me, or not. But I trust in Him as the Savior of
sinners–this is faith. And having trusted in Him I discover that I
have a particular and special interest in the merit of His blood and in
the love of His heart–this is rather assurance than faith.
Although assurance will grow out of faith and that is scarcely faith
which does not lead to assurance, yet the two are not identical. You
may believe in Christ and have eternal life and still be in doubt about
it. You ought not to be, but still you may fall into such a state. The
Apostle desires that if you believe, you may come to a still higher
state and may infallibly and joyfully know that you have eternal life.
O Brethren, do not fear to mount this ladder! The steps are very easy–
just continue to believe as you have believed! Receive the Word of God
as it stands–you need no other ground of assurance but that which is
written there–and the Spirit shall enable you to see your own title,
sealed and sure. Continue to rest in Jesus and you shall find that in
Him, as you have attained faith, so in Him you shall also obtain an
assurance of faith. Here is the first heavenly staircase.
The Apostle desires to lead the disciples up a second ascent. Observe
it. "And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask
anything according to His will, He hears us." From the assurance of our
interest in Christ the next step is to a firm belief in the power of
prayer, in the fact that God does regard your prayer. And this you can
hardly get unless you have attained to an assurance of your own
interest in Him. Belief in the prevalence of my prayer, to a great
extent, must depend upon my conviction of my interest in Christ. For
instance, here is Paul's argument–"He that spared not His own Son, but
delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give
us all things?"
I must therefore be sure that God has given me Christ. And if He has
given Christ to me, then I know that He will give me all things. But if
I have any doubt about Christ's being mine and about my being the
receiver of God's unspeakable gift in Christ, I cannot reason as the
Apostle did and I cannot, therefore, have that confidence that my
prayer is heard. Again, God's fatherhood is another ground of our
confidence in prayer. "If you, then, being evil, know how to give good
gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?"
But if I am not clear that God is my Father. If I have not the spirit
of Adoption, then I cannot come to God with this confidence that He
will give me my desire. My sonship being assured, I am confident that
my Father knows what I have need of and will hear me. But my sonship
being in dispute, my power in prayer vanishes–I cannot hope to
prevail. Besides, the man who has faith in Christ and knows himself to
be saved has already received answers to prayer! And answers to prayer
are some of the best supports to our faith as to the future success of
our petitions. "Because He has inclined His ear unto me, therefore will
I call upon Him as long as I live." But if I have no reason to conclude
that God has heard my prayer for forgiveness–if I am in doubt as to
whether my first cries have ever reached His ear and obtained an
answer– how can I come with confidence?
No, Brothers and Sisters, seek in the first place, since you have
believed in Jesus, to get the witness within you that you are born of
God. Then go from this gracious ascent to the next–knowing and being
assured that He hears us always because we do the things which are
pleasing in His sight and plead the name of our Lord Jesus Christ who
is All in All to us. If you have climbed this second ascent, and I hope
there are many here who have, the third is not difficult. It is to go
from your belief that God hears prayer to a conviction that when you
have prayed you have the petitions that you have desired of Him.
In other words, to ascend from a solemn conviction of the usefulness of
prayer to a particular and special belief that in your own case, when
you have desired anything of God in prayer through Jesus Christ, you
have obtained the answer! Not that you have had the particular mercy at
once given into your hands–for there is much that is really ours
which, nevertheless, is not at present in our sensible possession–and
yet is truly ours. We have Heaven, but we have it not in enjoyment as
of yet. And so we may have answers to our prayers and yet, as far as
our sense is concerned, we may not have received anything. We have it,
but we see it not. It is ours, but our God sees fit to reserve it for a
season for a further trial of our faith.
If a man had nothing more than he could see–there are many of you here
who have possessions across the sea, or ships far off upon the
water–and if you had only what you can see just now, your estates
would be sorely diminished! So we may have the answers to many of our
prayers–really have the answers–and yet for the present those
answers, like a ship upon a long voyage, may not yet have returned. Yet
we have the answer as the merchant has the ship which is as much his
upon the Atlantic as when it shall lie alongside his wharf. May we,
dear Friends, obtain the gracious position of knowing that having
sought the Lord in prayer through Jesus Christ, we have the petitions
which we desired of Him!
I want, this morning, as God may help me, to strengthen our dear
Brethren to look for answers to prayer. Seeing that you have the
promise of an answer to prayer and that the answer must come to you,
look for it! Unless you believe that you have the answer in reality,
you are not likely to watch for its appearance. But if you have come so
far as to believe that you have the answer, I do now earnestly urge you
to look for it and rejoice.
First, let me explain explanation. Secondly, let us say something in
the praise of this believing in our answer to prayer, commendation.
Thirdly, let us rebuke some who do not like to have their prayers
answered–here we have rebuke. And then, fourthly, let us stir you up
to exercise this gracious privilege which is your undoubted right as
the children of God–this is exhortation.
I. EXPLANATION–and let the explanation be taken from instances in Holy
Writ. Elijah bowed his knee on the top of Carmel and prayed to God for
rain. For three years there had not been a single drop descending upon
Israel. He pleads, and having finished his intercession, he says to his
servant, "Go and look from the top of Carmel towards the sea." He did
not think it sufficient to have prayed–he believed that he had the
petition which he desired of God and therefore he sent his servant to
see. The answer which was brought back was not encouraging. But he said
to his servant, "Go again seven times," and seven times that servant
went.
Elijah does not appear to have staggered in his faith–he believed he
had the petition and therefore expected soon to see it–since seeing is
often a blessed reward of believing. He sent his servant till at last
he brought back the news, "There is a little cloud the size of a man's
hand." Quite enough for Elijah's faith. He acts upon the belief that he
has the petition, though not a drop of rain has fallen. He goes down to
tell Ahab to make ready his chariot that the rain not stop him–in the
full and firm conviction that as certainly as he had asked–so surely
would the rain descend!
David is another case in point. Let me quote but this one expression,
"In the morning will I direct my prayer unto You and will look up." As
men take an arrow from the quiver, so David takes his prayer. He fits
it to the string and bends the bow by vehemence of desire and then he
takes aim–he directs his prayer to God. He is not shooting to the
right hand or to the left, but upwards to his God he points his
polished shaft. Not to those who will afterwards read the Psalm. Not to
those who are listening to his voice–he directs it to Heaven. And
having done so, draws the bow with all his strength and away flies the
arrow.
Anxious to know how it speeds, he looks up to see whether the Lord
accepts his desires and continues to look up to see whether a gracious
answer is returned. This is what I mean by the Christian's knowing he
has an answer to his petition and waiting and watching till it comes.
Take the case of Samson, poor, strong, yet weak Samson–as strong in
faith as he was in body. After his hair had grown again he is brought
forth to make sport for the Philistines and he prays to God to
strengthen him but this once.
Mark how he believed he had the petition–for he said to the man who
conducted him blindfolded into the Philistine's temple, "Put me near
the two pillars whereon the house does lean." And why does he seek to
stand there? Because he believes he has his petition. Having taken up
his position, he grasps the two pillars and bows himself with all his
might. Why? Why does he strain himself so? Is it possible that he hopes
to move those mighty columns from their bases? Yes, it is not only
possible, but certain that he will work wonders, for he believes that
he has his petition from his God!
See how in the strength of his belief he pulls down the temple of Dagon
about the heads of the worshippers and proves the power of believing
supplication! Something of that kind of spirit I want Believers to
experience–to know that their prayer is heard and then to act upon the
conviction that it is so. Take again, the case of Hannah, a woman of a
sorrowful spirit. She prayed without an audible voice, only her lips
moved. As soon as Eli told her that God had heard the prayer, observe
the change which was worked in her, "Then was her countenance no more
sad."
Why, Hannah, why do you smile? You have not yet seen your husband. You
have no signs that God has visited you and granted the desire of your
heart! No, but the Man of God has said it and that is enough for her!
The wrinkles disappear from her brow and the tears from her eyes–you
ask her why and she says, "I have the petition that I desired of God: I
asked in faith and the Lord has been pleased to hear my prayer."
A yet more wonderful instance is that of Jacob, who not only believes
in the utility of prayer but he will not let the Angel depart till he
wins His blessing. This was going farther–not only believing that
there was a blessing and that prayer could get it, but a determination
not to cease prayer till he had some visible token that he had obtained
it! Here was strong faith! The case may be exceptional and especially
when we pray for temporal mercies I do not think we have any right to
give the Lord such a time and to say we will not rise from our knees
till the favor is bestowed. That might be presumption rather than
faith.
But there are times when mercies are so necessary and when we are so
clear that our prayer is according to God's will–when the prayer is so
evidently indicted upon our heart by the Holy Spirit that we may even
say unto the Covenant Angel, "I will not leave this closet till You
give me Your answer. I will never cease to pray till You deign to
smile–I will not let You go unless You bless me." I have to complain
of myself and I suppose you have to complain in the same manner that so
much of our prayer is lacking here. We do not send the servant to look
to the sea. We do not let our countenance grow glad when we have poured
out our hearts before God–
"At His feet we groan, yet bring our wants away."
This is base and wicked of us! O that we had true faith–the real faith
which would honor God and comfort ourselves by believing that we have
the petition which we have desired of Him. So much by way of
explanation.
II. We come now to COMMENDATION. Let me commend the habit of expecting
an answer to prayer and looking for it for many reasons. I will but
give you an outline of them. By this means you put an honor upon God's
ordinance of prayer. He who prays without expecting to receive a return
mocks at the Mercy Seat of God. That Mercy Seat was made of gold, of
pure gold, as if to show its preciousness to all true Believers. And,
by not expecting to receive anything of God, you in effect despise the
Throne of Grace.
Let me ask you, of what use can the Mercy Seat be if God has said,
"Seek you My face" in vain? If no answers come to supplication, then
supplication is a vain waste of time! You play with prayer when you do
not expect an answer! You are not treating it in an earnest, solemn and
devout manner. You are trifling with it. Little children get their bows
and shoot their arrows–they care not where, up into the air, to the
east, or to the west–it is nothing to them. But men in sober fight
take their aim and watch their arrows. You are but playing with God's
ordinances of prayer, if, when you pray you are careless about results.
The truly prayerful man is resolved in his own soul that he must have
the answer. He feels his need of it! He sees God's promise. His heart
is stirred to earnestness and he cannot be satisfied to go away without
some token for good. You would not treat the Mercy Seat as though it
were a place for boys to play at! You would honor it, would you not?
You would not be among those of whom the Prophet said, "You have
snuffed at it," and said, "What a weariness it is." No, but you would
make the place where God meets with His people glorious. You would take
your shoes off because it is holy ground. But you cannot do this except
you believe that prayer has power in it and know that you have the
petitions which you ask of Him.
Such a spirit, in the next place, having honored prayer, also honors
God's attributes. To believe that the Lord will hear my prayer is honor
to His truthfulness. He has said that He will and I believe that He
will keep His Word. It is honorable to His power. I believe that He can
make the Word of His mouth stand fast and steadfast. It is honorable to
His love. The larger things I ask, the more do I honor the liberality,
Grace and love of God in asking such great things. It is honorable to
His wisdom, for if I ask what He has told me to ask and expect Him to
answer me, I believe that His Word is wise and may safely be kept. If
you would dishonor every attribute of God, pray with unbelief. But if,
on the contrary, you would put a crown on the head of Him who has saved
you and who is the God of your salvation, believe that if you ask He
will give and if you knock He will open unto you!
Again, to believe that God hears prayer and to look for an answer is
truly to reverence God Himself. If I stand side by side with a friend
and I ask him a favor and when he is about to reply to me I turn away
and open the door and go to my business, why what an insult is this! It
is not always considered courteous if you do not answer a person. But
it is always discourteous if, after having asked a question, you do not
wait for the answer. If I send a petition to a man's door and then
having earnestly asked, or pretended to ask earnestly, I am utterly
careless about the answer, I have not treated the man respectfully. If
that person should send me a letter in return to my request and I
should not even take the trouble to open it, how could I provoke him
worse?
So you first ask God to grant you a favor and then you do not stop to
get it. And when He sends it, you receive it as a matter of course and
do not praise it as a gracious answer to your supplication. Christian
Brother, let me commend to you the gracious art of believing in the
success of your prayers–because in this way you will help to insure
your own success. A beggar knocks at your door. He wants charity. He
has a firm belief that you will give it to him. The door does not open
to him the first time–he knows you have seen him and that you
understand his wants–he therefore knocks again. He is so confident of
your generosity that he continues waiting at your doorstep.
You, at first, take little notice of him–you are busy with other
matters. You come again to the window and you say, "What, is he still
there?" Perhaps even then you are called away by urgent business and
you attend to it rather than to him. But coming once more to the door,
there he stands! "Why, then," you say to him, "you shall have your
desire." And your hand is in your pocket to give him the relief he
wants. It is even so with our God. When He sees us wait upon Him He
will not permit us to wait without receiving the reward.
"He will strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord." Merely to
knock at Mercy's door without waiting for a reply is but like the
runaway knocks of idle boys in the street–you cannot expect an answer
to such prayers! Stand upon your watchtower and–
"Hear what God the Lord will speak– For He will speak peace unto His
people, And to His saints– But let them not turn again to folly."
Furthermore, thus to believe in the result of prayer tries and
manifests faith. Perhaps nine prayers out of ten which we offer might
have been as well not offered for any good which they have done to us.
Am I too severe? I mean our hurried morning prayers when business is
calling us away. I mean our sleepy evening prayers when we are scarcely
half awake. I mean those formal petitions, (I am not speaking of those
who use a book, for you can be quite as formal without a book as
with)–those formal petitions in which you have only expressed godly
opinions without feeling godly emotions, passed over holy words without
their really coming from your hearts.
But, Brethren, when we pray and expect the answer, this is a sure token
that our prayer has not been a mere formality. Then Faith lays hold
upon God and she waits. Patience stands by her side, knowing that the
windows of Heaven, however fast they may be closed, will open soon and
God's right hand will scatter His liberality upon waiting souls. So
Faith waits and watches and waits and watches again. This is the reason
why the glorious doctrine of the Second Advent has such a blessed
effect on some of God's people. It exercises their faith and brings
hope into the field.
And so answers to faith exercises our watching faith and trains our
hope to look up. The devil says, "Surely God will never hear your
prayer." You answer, "I have the petition and am waiting till He puts
it into my hand–it is up there, labeled for me and set aside in the
treasury for me and I shall have it. I am waiting till the time comes
when I may safely receive that which is mine even now." So the flesh
whispers, "It is in vain," but Faith says, "No, prayer is blessed,
prayer is God's Spirit returning where it came and it will never fail."
"But how can such a sinner as you are hope to succeed with God,"
whispers Unbelief? But Faith, like Abraham, considers not its own body,
though dead, neither the deadness of Sarah's womb, but staggers not at
the promise through unbelief–it keeps on waiting till it gets its
reward! Such a habit, moreover, helps to bring out our gratitude to
God. None sing so sweetly as those who get answers to prayer! Oh, some
of you would give my Master sweet songs if you did but notice when He
hears you!
But perhaps the Lord may drop an answer to your prayer and you merely
cry, "It is a fortunate circumstance," and God gets no praise for it.
But if, instead, you had been watching for it and seen it come, you
would fall on your knees in holy gratitude and say–
"I love the Lord–He heard my cries, And pitied every groan– Long as I
live, when troubles rise, I'll hasten to His Throne."
Let me add this would make your faith grow, would make your love burn,
and every Grace would be put in active exercise if, believing in the
power of prayer, you watched for the answer and when the answer came
went with a song of praise to the Savior's feet!
I will not say more, lest by multiplying commendations I rather weaken
the force of what I say. I could not praise this habit too much. The
man whom God has taught to pray believingly has all God's treasures at
his command. You have the privy key of Jehovah's secret cabinet. You
are rich to all the extents of bliss. You have about you the
Omnipotence of God for you have power to move the arm that moves the
world! He who lacks this mercy is but weak and poverty-stricken, but he
who has gained it is one of the mightiest in God's Israel and will do
great exploits.
III. Having thus spoken by way of commendation, we pause awhile and
turn to speak by way of REBUKE. But it shall be such a gentle rebuke as
shall not break the head. I am not just now speaking to those who never
pray at all–let me, however, solemnly remind them that prayerless
souls are Christ-less souls and will be lost souls before long. Nor am
I speaking to those of you who merely prattle through a form of
prayer–I give you but this one word: remember that God will not
forever be mocked by you and that your prayers are numbered with your
sins–you do but insult the Majesty of Heaven while you pretend to
worship Him.
I am communing this morning with those persons to whom John wrote–you
who believe on the name of the Son of God. You who believe in the
efficacy of prayer. How is it that you do not expect an answer? I think
I hear you say, "One reason is my own unworthiness. How can I think
that God will hear such prayers as mine? I am fickle as the wind that
blows and full of infirmities. I am one of the meanest of His sheep. If
I were one of His ministers I would believe that my prayer was heard.
But I am the least in Israel and my father's house is all unknown. I do
serve God sometimes a little, but oh, how little! And even that little
is marred with selfishness! I am the very worst in the whole family.
How can I think that my prayer will be heard?"
Brothers and Sisters, let me remind you that it is not the person who
prays that commends the prayer to God, but the fervency of the prayer
in the virtue of the Great Intercessor. Why do you think the Apostle
wrote these words–"Elijah was a man of like passions with us"? Why was
that statement made? Why, precisely to meet the case of those who say,
"My prayer is not heard because I have such-and-such faults." Here is a
case in point with yours–"Elijah was a man of like passions with us,"
and yet he prays earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not–so
that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man is not prevented
in its acceptance before high Heaven by the infirmity of the person who
offers it.
"Yes," you say, "but, Sir, you do not know the particular state of mind
I have been in when I have prayed. I am so fluttered and worried and
vexed and troubled that I cannot expect my prayer, offered in such a
state of mind, to prevail with God." Did you ever read the
thirty-fourth Psalm and carefully consider where David was when his
prayer had such good speed with God? He says, "O magnify the Lord with
me and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord and He heard
me and delivered me from all my fears." This poor man cried and the
Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.
Now where do you think David prayed that prayer which God thus heard?
Read the heading of the Psalm–"A Psalm of David, when he changed his
behavior before Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed." You
remember what he did? He played the madman and let his spit run down
his beard. He acted the fool and was never more a fool, except once,
than he was then! And yet even then, in his fool's play, God heard his
prayer! There is something very teaching here. Child of God, though you
may have gone ever so far astray and played the fool, let not this keep
you back from the Mercy Seat! It was built on purpose for unworthy
sinners to come to. You are such. If God only heard you in your good
times, why then, you would perish!
The gates of His Grace are open at night as well as at day and
black-handed saints may come and find mercy as well as those who have
kept their garments white. Do not, I pray you, get into the ill habit
of judging that your prayers are not heard because of your failings in
spirit. "But," says a third, "it is not merely that I do not so much
doubt the efficacy of prayer on account of myself, but my prayers
themselves are such poor things! I cannot! I cannot get the groan out
of my heart before God. I would not ask to pray a happy prayer. If I
could but pray an utterly wretched prayer. If my heart would but ache I
would be content, but I cannot get to God. I do not know how to lay
hold upon Him and wrestle with Him, and therefore I cannot expect to
prevail."
Dear Brothers and Sisters, this is your sin as well as your infirmity!
Be humbled and pray God to make you like the importunate widow, for
only so will you prevail. But at the same time let me remind you that
if your prayers are sincere it shall often happen that even their
weakness shall not destroy them. When Christ was asleep in the ship His
disciples came to Him and said, "Master, care you not that we perish?"
And He rebuked them–"O you of little faith, why do you doubt?" But He
did not refuse to hear their cry for all that! For He rebuked the winds
and the waves and there was a great calm. He may rebuke the unbelief of
your prayer and yet in infinite mercy He may exceed His promise!
There is no promise that He will hear unbelieving prayers. And he who
wavers must not expect to receive anything– but the Lord may go beyond
His Word and give us mercies notwithstanding that fault. And all other
failings He graciously overlooks and receives our prayers through Jesus
Christ. Let your sense of the poverty of your prayers lead you to abhor
your faults–but not to abhor praying. Let it make you long to pray
better–but never cause you to doubt that if you can, with true
fervency, come to God through Jesus Christ your Lord, your prevailing
is not a matter of hope but a matter of certainty–your success is as
absolutely sure as the laws of Nature.
Further, I have no doubt many of God's people cannot think their
prayers will be heard because they have had, as yet, such very few
manifest replies. I saw the other day a greyhound chasing a hare. The
moment the hare ran through the hedge out of the greyhound's sight, the
race was over, for he could not follow where he could not see. The true
hound hunts by scent–but the greyhound only by sight. Now there are
some Christians too much like the greyhound. They only follow the Lord
as far as they can see His manifest mercy. But the true child of God
hunts by faith and when he cannot see the mercy, he scents it and still
pursues it till at last he lays hold upon it!
Why, Man, you say you have had no answers! How do you know that? God
may have answered you though you have not seen the answer. "I am
heard," says good Ralph Erskine–
"I'm heard when answered soon or late, Yes, heard when I no answer get!
Yes, kindly answered when refused, And treated well when harshly used."
This is a riddle, but it is a fact. God has not promised to give you
the particular mercy in kind, but He will give it to you somehow or
other. If I pay my debts in gold no man can blame me because I do not
pay them in silver. And if God gives you spiritual mercies in
abundance, instead of temporal, He has heard your prayer. You may pray,
like Paul, thrice, that the thorn in the flesh may be taken away from
you–God's answer is given, and it is, "My Grace is sufficient for
you." Christ prayed that God might hear Him, He was heard in that He
feared, but He had not the cup taken from Him.
No, but He had an angel to comfort and strengthen Him. And this was, in
Truth, an answer though not such as the prayer seemed to require. You
have had an answer and if God has heard you but once, pluck up courage
and go again! Many do not pray expecting an answer because they pray in
such a sluggish spirit. Begging is a hard trade–a man that succeeds in
it must throw his heart into it–and so is praying. If you want to win,
you must pray hard. They called some of the early Christians on the
Continent, "Beg-hards," because they did pray hard to God. And none can
prevail but those who pray hard. Slothful souls may not expect an
answer.
Then there are so many, again, who pray in a legal spirit. Why do you
pray? Because it is my duty? Children of God know it is their duty to
pray, but they pray because they believe in the efficacy of prayer! I
should not expect God to hear me because the clock struck such and I
began to pray from a sense of duty. No, I must go, not because the
clock strikes, but because my heart wants to pray. A child does not cry
because the time to cry has come, nor does a sick man groan because it
is the hour of groaning–they cry and groan because they cannot help
it. When the new-born nature says, "Let us draw near unto God," then is
the time and the place.
A legal spirit would prevent our expecting answers to prayer.
Inconsistencies after prayer and a failure to press our suit will bring
us to doubt the power of prayer. If we do not plead with God again and
again, and again, we shall not keep up our faith that God hears us.
"Oh," says one, "we have no time to pray at that rate." What do you do
with your time? It caused Domitian to be greatly despised when it was
reported that he spent hours in killing flies. It was told, to the
discredit of Artaxerxes, that he spent whole days in making handles for
knives!
What shall be thought of us, when we confess that we have no time to
pray–but there is time for trifles! Princes of the blood royal and yet
no time to be at court? Kings of a Divine race and yet no time to put
on your crowns and wear your robes of State? Time to play with toys and
roll in the dust with the beggars of earth, but no time to sit upon the
Throne of Glory and to offer the sacrifice of praise unto the Most
High? Shame on such Christians! May God give us true shame for this and
from this day forward may we be much in prayer and expect gracious
answers.
IV. Alas, this morning time rebukes me, but eternity commends, and
therefore I shall go on just a few minutes longer and that by way of
EXHORTATION. Dear Friends, let us believe in God's answering prayer! I
mean those of us who have believed in Jesus. And because we have God's
promise for it. Hear what He says, "You shall make your prayer unto Him
and He shall hear you." Know that the Lord has set apart him that is
godly for Himself–the Lord will hear when I call upon Him. "He shall
call upon Me, and I will answer him."
"Call upon Me in the day of trouble and I will deliver you and you
shall glorify Me." "It shall come to pass that before they call I will
answer. And while they are yet speaking, I will hear." "All things
whatever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive."
"Everyone that asks receives. And he that seeks finds. And to him that
knocks it shall be opened." "Whatever you shall ask in My name, that
will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." "If you shall
ask anything in My name, I will do it." "And whatever we ask we receive
of Him because we keep His Commandments and do those things that are
pleasing in His sight."
How is it possible after this that God should refuse to hear us? Is He
a God and can He lie? Have we promise upon promise and will He break
them all? God forbid, Brethren! If there is a God and if this Book is
His Word, if God is true, prayer must be answered. And let us, on our
knees, go to the sacred engagement as to a work of real efficacy.
Again, prayer must be answered because of the Character of God our
Father. Will He let His children cry and not hear them? He hears the
young ravens and will He not hear His own people? He is a God of Love.
Would you let your sick child lie and pine and not go in to answer its
groanings?
Will a God of Love close His ears against His people's cries? Do you
think He will let the tears stream down your cheeks when you are
petitioning and not put them into His bottle? Oh, remember His loving
kindness and you cannot, I think, doubt that He hears prayer! A God
that hears prayer–this is His memorial throughout all generations. Do
not rob Him of His Character by distrusting Him! Then think of the
efficacy of the blood of Jesus. When you pray, it is the blood that
speaks. Every drop of Jesus' blood cries, "Father, hear him! Father,
hear him! Hear the sinner's cry!" That blood was sprinkled on the Mercy
Seat that the Mercy Seat might be an efficacious Mercy Seat for you! Do
not doubt the blood of Christ!
What? Can He die and yet that blood have no more efficacy in it than
the blood of bulls or of goats? You will not think this. Then do not
doubt that prayer prevails! Think, again, that Jesus pleads. He points
to the wound upon His breast and spreads His pierced hands. Shall the
Father deny the Son? Shall prayers offered by Christ be cast out from
Heaven's register? Oh, these things must not–cannot be! Besides, the
Holy Spirit Himself is the Author of your prayers. Will God incite the
desire and then not hear it? Shall there be a schism between the Father
and the Holy Spirit? You will not dream of such a thing!
Oh, believe me when I review my own personal experience during the
fifteen years that I have known something of the Savior! It leads me to
feel that it is as certain that God hears prayer as that twice two make
four! As certain as that the rock, falling by the law of gravitation,
seeks the earth. We have not the time to give instances in proof but I
hope your own experience furnishes them. May I beseech you by the love
you bear to Jesus, do Him the honor of believing in the prevalence of
His plea! By the light and life you have received of the Holy Spirit,
do not discredit Him by thinking He can teach you to pray a prayer that
will not be accepted before God!
Let us as a Church pray more. O that the Spirit of prayer would come
down upon us! Let us expect greater blessings! I was led forth in
prayer this morning beyond the usual limits. I do not know how the time
fled, but I do know that we have the petitions. Let us stand on our
watchtower and look. Let us meet again and again at special meetings
and let us cry mightily unto the Most High, pouring out our hearts like
water before Him and He will open the windows of Heaven and give us
greater blessings than we have ever had before–great as those already
received have been!
This very afternoon let the season of prayer begin and let it be well
sustained. It is to Believers that these words are spoken. May God lead
you who are not Believers to trust in Jesus. Amen.