Men Ought Always to Pray

Have you ever found yourself in a deep, dark place of worry? Worry about your future, bills to be payed, a diagnosis from the doctor, or goals you are struggling to achieve? Worrying is a common human denominator. At some point in our lives, we all worry about something. What if I told you worrying is unprofitable? Matthew 6:27 asks a potent question, “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?” We cannot achieve anything substantial by worrying, as it is harmful both to the spiritual and physical man. Throughout scripture, we are encouraged not to worry, but instead, to trust in the faithfulness of the Lord. Matthew 6:26 states “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” If the Lord sustains the fowl of the air, how much more will He sustain you, who are made in His image? Genesis 1:27 states “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” God never neglects His children, He is a responsible Father. When we begin to doubt Him, become burdened by the cares of life and live in constant fear and anxiety, it is a clear indication that we distrust God. To distrust someone is to have little or no confidence that they will fulfil their word or act with integrity. God’s Word is infallible and integrity is His nature. Isaiah 55:11 declares “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” We are called to trust God completely and pray instead of worrying. Prayer is fundamental in building intimacy and trust in God.

The Bible instructs us to pray in Philippians 4 vs 6–7, the Word of God declares 6“Be anxious for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” This is not a call to neglect our lives, challenges and responsibilities. However, this is a call to turn away from worrying. It is a call to prayer and walking in the peace of God. Why are we instructed to pray?

Pray Persistently 

In the parable founded in Luke 18, Jesus in teaching His disciples about prayer talks about a widow desirous of justice, illustrated by her persistent petitions to an unjust Judge. Ultimately, the widow received justice because of her persistence.  Luke 18 “1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.” Isn’t it interesting that the unjust judge was driven to the point of administering justice because of the widow’s persistence? According to Luke 18, we understand that the judge’s spiritual and moral compass were compromised because He did not fear God nor regard man. However, the judge acted outside of his character to appease the widow’s plead for justice because of her persistence. Persistence can be defined as the will to try again despite difficulty or opposition. When you face difficulty, do you worry, do you lose hope, or do you pray? We are called to a life of prayer. If the widow, through persistence was able to receive justice from an unjust judge, how much more will our just God deliver His children from the adversary? In Luke 18 vs 6-8 we are assured of this “6And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.” The widow was not avenged with immediacy, it took showing up after disappointment, showing up without pride and petitioning an unjust judge whose fractured character was not a secret. How much sweeter is it to show up in the presence of a loving Father and faithful God? One who welcomes us in our brokenness, pain, shame, tears, sorrow, joy, laughter, losses and wins. Hebrews 4 vs 6 states “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” I encourage us to depend on Jesus to avenge us. He cannot lie; Numbers 23 vs 19 assures us “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”

Have you lost hope? Are you oppressed by the cares of life? Is joy a long-lost reality? Is peace a thing of the past? It is time to start praying again. Be persistent in prayer. Prayer does not exempt us from affliction, living a righteous life does not exempt us from affliction. Psalm 34 vs 19 tells us “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.” When we pray, we walk in intimacy with the Lord, through this, we build trust in the security that He will deliver us.

Submit to God Totally

It is important to note that prayer is not a tool to manipulate God, in fact, we cannot manipulate Him. Prayer is not a tool of control; we do not get to decide outcomes because we pray. However, a prayerful life is submitting to God’s sovereignty and walking in total surrender to His will. The three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who were thrown in the fiery furnace exemplified submission to God as recorded in Daniel 3 vs 17-18 “17If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” We serve a prayer answering God, 1 John 5 vs 14-15 states, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” While we are deeply grateful that our God hears and answers prayer, our walk with Him should not be hinged on results, but anchored in relationship. A prayerful life says, ‘God’s will above all,’ ‘I do not have control, God does’. A life of submission says, ‘If Jesus tells me yes, I will stay with Him and if He tells me no, I will stay with Him.’ Prayer according to God’s way breaks our need to be in control and births within us a desire for God’s will to be established. A prayerful life is determined to follow Jesus whatever He does, whatever He chooses. Instead of worrying, pray persistently and submit to God totally. This can only be done by the help of God. Men ought always to pray and not faint. Will you pray?