Yes, I will faithfully and continually pray even if I see no answer to my prayers! “Why?” you may ask—so let me answer briefly.
I believe I am at my best when I am on my knees and with my head bowed in reverence in prayer. I find my most noble moments while in prayer like that. And when I pray, I am most human as well as godly. I am being what I am, a person bent before God, a small human before a great God. I was made by Him and I am spending time with Him because as a human I know I need Him.
Some would point out, “But prayers are always answered by God; it’s yes, it’s no, or it’s wait.” And that’s not debated, but even if my prayers were not answered—there is reason to pray—I’ll explain more!
In fact, if I never received any answers to my prayers offered to God, just the time of fellowship in His presence would be immediately rewarding my praying. It is an authentic act of love, and that alone would be a benefit, just to tell Him He is dearly loved by me.
And yet, we “have not because we ask not,” so is it not true that we are getting something wonderful in prayer whether or not He gives specific answers to my requests? For in prayer, as a human I am indicating my dependence on Him in every way. In prayer, I am saying I want to know more about my Lord as a result of personal fellowship. Without asking for anything, I am giving thanks for His person and presence. (Ephesians 5:20) It seems to me, to give thanks for His blessing is never wrong, but what about giving thanks for who He is and not just for what He does? He is wholly good and as wise as He is holy.
In prayer I am falling back on Jesus, for I come “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We should realize it’s not God’s reluctance we confront but God’s righteousness we contemplate in prayer.
What exactly do we want in prayer? Well, the highest want I can have is to want what He wants! A. W. Tozer says it better, “to pray effectively, we must want what God wants—that and that alone is praying in the will of God.” I know how to find God’s will anytime: pray, for how could I sincerely pray and be out of His will? In God’s will I am fully aligned with God, and in prayer I am actively saying I want my life to be according to His will. (read I John 5:14) God cannot be displeased with anyone who is saying in thought and truth, “Your will be done and my will is done.” We vividly recall that Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane said, “your will not my will” (Luke 22:42). We should do the same.
But never omit, prayer may be at times uninterrupted silence! We are not asking for anything—rather we are abiding and lingering in His presence. In fact, to pray and then to linger in silence is a mark of spiritual maturity. To pray is to obey for Jesus said, “men aught always to pray” (Luke 18:1). So that, when we pray, we are showing a spirit of humble obedience to Him but also a confident boldness.
I openly admit, God has never been better to me than when He ignored some things I asked for in prayer! Long ago I first read these discerning words, “If you do not get all you ask, it is because you ask for silver and God sometimes sends His denials wrapped in gold.”
E. M. Bounds said, “Prayer is humbling work,” for we do not really pray unless we crucify our pride. We do not really pray unless we acknowledge that we are bankrupt without Him. So prayer in itself is honest dealing with vain glory. What is the Christian life? — There is nothing of it without devotion to God in prayer. Here on this topic, Leonard Ravenhill speaks to remind us, “No man is greater than his prayer life,” and “prayer is conditioned by one thing alone and that is spirituality.”
We are giving God attention when we pray alone—which cannot happen without our being blessed, whether we realize it or not. God cannot be lonely when we pray. We are keeping Him company and that itself has its rich rewards. What a godly person often says in prayer to God is, “Lord, I just want to linger here longer. I enjoy Your presence.” In that moment I am not asking for anything but Him! And my point in this is that we, without asking God for anything, are blessed when we pray. We do not have to ask anything for God to bless us with everything because our love and devotion exhibited in prayer gives Him a motivation to enrich our lives.
Bunyan once called prayer “… a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the soul to God …” So, just think, we have the great honor of God’s hearing our voice! So we come boldly and gratefully into the Holy of Holies. And when I talk to God, after all, I am simply saying to Him, “You are my God. There is nothing more beyond You.”
It would seem to me that if there is anything in my heart and soul that is more urgent than the desire to be in His presence, then mark it, I am spiritually shallow and superficial. My spiritual condition is to be judged not by my asking but Him adoring! Let prayer be adoration before it is asking. The best test of our heart is how highly we find ourselves praising Jesus for who He is and all He has done for us—we do that in prayer.
How vast the treasures we possess! How rich Thy bounty, King of grace!
Isaac Watts
In prayer we sit at the feet of Jesus, we listen to His words and look into His face by faith. As I indicated, we never forget, prayer is listening. I referred to silence in prayer earlier. “Listening to God’s voice is the secret of the assurance that He will listen to my voice!” What great virtue is there in simply coming to Him not to ask but to contemplate and to commune with Him—just to be in His holy presence. How could God not enjoy those who indicate that they want to draw near to Him and abide unrushed, fully welcomed, in His presence?
And finally, the wording of Hebrews 4:16 in the Living Bible must be emphasized, “So let us come boldly to the very throne of God …” and then note these words, “and stay there to receive his mercy and to find grace to help us in our times of need.” The Greek word for boldly is “parrhesia,” and it means “with freedom”—that is, speech that is free and unreserved, it is freedom in the form of confidence, it is glorious liberty in talking to God as we enjoy His presence. It is freedom to speak to Him without reservation—to speak my heart. I do not have to have more than that to be fully alive in Christ and to desire to remain in a spirit of prayer continuously. What a great thought!
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