Consistency in Prayer

Monday, August 18, 2014

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Ephesians 6:18–20

When he was on his deathbed, the powerful preacher John Knox, who led the Scottish Reformation, asked his wife to get the Bible and read to him. He said, “Read me that Scripture where I first cast my anchor.” She began reading from the prayer of Jesus in John 17. The old preacher gained new strength and began praying. He asked God to save those who were still lost. He asked for the growth of those who had recently been saved. He asked for the protection of those facing persecution for their faithful witness. While he was praying, Knox died and entered the presence of the One to whom he had just been speaking. It is little wonder that Queen Mary said, “I fear his prayers more than an army of ten thousand men.”

The Christian life must be a life of prayer if it is to have any meaningful and lasting impact on the world. The prayerless Christian will be a powerless Christian. Prayer is not just for those in full time Christian service, but for every believer. It is not just for the young or the troubled. Prayer is intended to be a regular, continual, and consistent practice of the believer. Through prayer we pour out our hearts to God and seek His help. Through prayer we receive the things that we need both physically and spiritually. Through prayer we touch both Heaven and Earth, and accomplish what is impossible without Divine help.

Today's Growth Principle
Until we reach Heaven, there will never be a day when we do not urgently need to pray.

Old Testament Reading

Psalm 103-104

PSALM 103

A Psalm of David.

¹ Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. ² Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: ³ Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; ⁴ Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; ⁵ Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

⁶ The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. ⁷ He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. ⁸ The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. ⁹ He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. ¹⁰ He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. ¹¹ For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. ¹² As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. ¹³ Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. ¹⁴ For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. ¹⁵ As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. ¹⁶ For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. ¹⁷ But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; ¹⁸ To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

¹⁹ The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. ²⁰ Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. ²¹ Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. ²² Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.

PSALM 104

¹ Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. ² Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: ³ Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: ⁴ Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire: ⁵ Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever. ⁶ Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains. ⁷ At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away. ⁸ They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them. ⁹ Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.

¹⁰ He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills. ¹¹ They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst. ¹² By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches. ¹³ He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works. ¹⁴ He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; ¹⁵ And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart. ¹⁶ The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted; ¹⁷ Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house. ¹⁸ The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.

¹⁹ He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down. ²⁰ Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth. ²¹ The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God. ²² The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens. ²³ Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening. ²⁴ O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. ²⁵ So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. ²⁶ There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein. ²⁷ These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. ²⁸ That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good. ²⁹ Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. ³⁰ Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

³¹ The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works. ³² He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke. ³³ I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. ³⁴ My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD. ³⁵ Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.

New Testament Reading

1 Corinthians 2

CHAPTER 2

¹ And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. ² For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. ³ And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. ⁴ And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: ⁵ That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

⁶ Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: ⁷ But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: ⁸ Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. ⁹ But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. ¹⁰ But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. ¹¹ For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. ¹³ Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. ¹⁴ But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. ¹⁶ For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Proverbs Reading

Proverbs 19

¹ Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. ² Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth. ³ The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD. ⁴ Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour. ⁵ A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape. ⁶ Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts. ⁷ All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him. ⁸ He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good. ⁹ A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish. ¹⁰ Delight is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes. ¹¹ The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. ¹² The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass. ¹³ A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping. ¹⁴ House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD. ¹⁵ Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger. ¹⁶ He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die. ¹⁷ He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again. ¹⁸ Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying. ¹⁹ A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again. ²⁰ Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. ²¹ There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand. ²² The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar. ²³ The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil. ²⁴ A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. ²⁵ Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge. ²⁶ He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach. ²⁷ Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge. ²⁸ An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity. ²⁹ Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools.