LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY

Not a few Christian groups have been set up with prayer as a key agenda.  Special days have been periodically set aside to call us to fasting and prayer.  It is also good to note that there are churches and Christians individuals who are placing special emphasis on prayer and making special effort to pray.  The urgency to pray specifically for our nation has intensified in view of what has happened in our country since the last political tsunami… and also what we predict will happen within this year, or maybe the next 24 months.

But how should we pray?  Or rather, what should we pray for?

It is quite common to hear people pray for the advancement of the Gospel… for breakthroughs, for more people to come to the Lord.  We also pray for the growth of the Church… for more churches to be planted, for revival to come upon us.  We pray for the healing of our nation… for corruption and crime to be eradicated, for truth and justice to prevail.  We pray against the forces of darkness… for victories, blessings, miracles, signs and wonders.

Perhaps it is good and needful for us to evaluate our prayers in the contexts of the Scriptures…

If God were to answer all these well-meant prayers exactly according to all that we ask, our world and our society should and would get better and better by the day.  I think that such a positive progression (however slow it may be) would eventually mean that there will be no need for Christ to come again, because all would be well on planet earth!  But, the Bible in no uncertain terms tells us that the world will move towards a condition which will eventually set the stage for Jesus Christ to return.  And the final scenario will not be a rosy one.  The Word of God paints a picture of perilous times (2 Tim 3:1) and increased lawlessness (Matt 24:12).

In view of the Scriptures above, are we praying right?  Well, I am not saying that we are praying wrong.  Did not the Lord teach us to pray for the Father’s Kingdom to come?  And if we are to pray in faith, how else could we pray?

Well… I think if we were to pray more biblically, it will require us to see a more balance perspective regarding the on-going spiritual warfare between good and evil, the tension the children of light will face as we strive to live righteously in a fallen world, and what must transpire before the final victory we will have in Christ when He returns.  As much as the prayer of faith requires us to pray fervently to hold back the forces of darkness, it also requires us to be prepared to embrace suffering for the sake of the Gospel, with confident trust and even jubilant joy.  There is the “ultimate future” of savoring the final victory… and there is the “immediate future” of persevering towards that victory…

In this context, maybe instead of just praying that Malaysia be won for Christ, it would be more biblical to also pray that Christians and churches be more motivated and effective in sharing the Gospel…  Perhaps instead of merely praying that corruption be eradicated, it would be more meaningful to add that Christians and churches should be more aware of what is happening in our country and be bolder to speak up…  And probably instead of praying only that the forces of darkness be pushed back, it would make better sense that we include praying that Christians should learn to wield the sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God) to combat satan and his demonic host.

When we learn to pray more biblically, we will put things into a more balanced biblical perspective.  We will know that after getting up from our knees, we need to walk our prayers with actions, and align our lives with the Word of God.

Yes Lord, teach us to pray…

IMPORTANT NOTES:

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Please note that the views and opinions expressed in this article may not necessarily reflect those of the Christian organization Jason works in, nor the church or denomination he belongs to.