How many of our prayers are vague and pointless?
Prayer Must Be Definite
by A n d r e w M u r r a y
K nd Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?” (Mark 10:51). The blind man had been crying out aloud, and that a great deal, “ Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.” The cry had reached the ear of the Lord; He knew what he wanted and was ready to grant it him. But ere He does it, He asks him: “What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?” He wants to hear from his own lips, not only the general peti tion for mercy but the distinct ex pression of what his desire was. Until he speaks it out, he is not healed. There is now still many a sup pliant to whom the Lord puts the same question and who cannot, un til it has been answered, get the aid he asks. Our prayers must not be a vague appeal to His mercy, an infinite cry for blessing, but the distinct expression of definite need. Not that His loving heart does not understand our cry or is not ready to hear. But He desires it for our own sakes. Such definite prayer teaches us to know our own needs better. It demands time and thought and self-scrutiny to find out what really is our greatest need. It searches us and puts us to the test as to whether our desires are honest and real, such as we are ready to persevere in. It leads us to judge whether our desires are according to God’s Word and whether we really believe that we shall receive the things vve ask. It helps us to
wait for the special answer and to mark it when it comes. And yet how much of our prayer is vague and pointless. Some cry for mercy, but take not the trouble to know what mercy must do for them. Others ask perhaps to be de livered of sin, but do not begin by bringing any sin by name from which the deliverance may be claimed. Still others pray for God’s blessing on those around them, for the outpouring of God’s Spirit on their land or the world, and yet have no special field where they wait and expect to see the answer. To all the Lord says: And what is it now you really want and expect me to do? Every Christian has but limited powers, and as he must have his own special field of labor in which he works, so with his prayers too. Each believer has his own circle, his family, his friends, his neighbors. If he were to take one or more of these by name, he would find that this really brings him into the training-school of faith and leads to personal and pointed dealing with his God. It is when in such distinct matters we have in faith claimed and received answers, that our more general prayers will be believing and effectual. We all know with what surprise the whole civilized world heard of the way in which trained troops were repulsed by the Transvaal Boers at Majuba. And to what did they owe their success? In the armies of Europe the soldier fires upon the enemy standing in large
masses and never thinks of seeking an aim for every bullet. In hunting game the Boer had learned a dif ferent lesson: his practiced eye knew to send every bullet on its special message, to seek and find its man. Such aiming must gain the day in the spiritual world too. As long as in prayer we must pour out our hearts in a multitude of peti tions without taking time to see whether every petition is sent with the purpose and expectation of get ting an answer, not many will reach the mark. But if, as in silence of soul we bow before the Lord, we were to ask such questions as these — What is now really my desire? Do I desire it in faith, expecting to receive? Am I now ready to place and leave it in the Father’s bosom? Is it a settled thing between God and me that I am to have the an swer? — we should learn so to pray that God would see and we would know what we really expect. It is for this, among other rea sons, that the Lord warns us against the vain repetitions of the Gentiles who think to be heard for their much praying. We often hear prayers of great earnestness and fervor, in which a multitude of petitions are poured forth but to which the Saviour would undoubt edly answer, “What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?” If I am in a strange land in the interests of the business which my father owns, I would certainly write two differ ent sorts of letters. There will be family letters giving expression to
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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