You have not because you ask not (James 4:2).
The enemy does not want you praying.
He knows something you do not. He knows the power of your praying.
He will do anything he can to stop your praying, to sabotage your prayers, to throw a monkey wrench in the works of your prayers.
And some of us are cooperating with him so that his work is done before he gets started.
Think of what we do…
One. “My prayers don’t amount to much.”
Ever say that? I’ll bet you have. And I am here to tell you that is rank unbelief. Because you have mistakenly thought your praying was all about yourself–your faith, your maturity, your understanding, your something. But it’s not. Our praying is about our obedience.
Want to see how precious your prayers are to the Lord? Check out Revelation 5:8 and 8:3-4. Very special.
Two. “I’m just one person.”
I’ve said that. The Lord’s Spirit suddenly asked me, “Do you pray for Billy Graham?” The great evangelist sat just to the right in my office as we prepared for the funeral of Dr. Grady Wilson, boyhood friend, and lifelong associate to Dr. Graham. This was November 1987. Several longtime friends of Dr. Wilson and Dr. Graham had gathered there to visit before the service. I was the kid in the room, younger than anyone else, new to all of them. As I was Dr. Wilson’s pastor, we were having the service in our church (Charlotte’s First Baptist Church), and my sermon would be broadcast on the worldwide Hour of Decision. Is that a heady feeling or what? That afternoon, I sat quietly and listened to the others. That’s when the Holy Spirit asked me that loaded question.
I call it “loaded” because when the Spirit asks a question, He’s never seeking information. He knew the answer. Down in my heart of hearts where the Lord and I frequently have our conversations, I responded, “Lord, people all over the world pray for that man and I’m just one person.”
Now, have you ever heard anything dumber than that?
Do you know anyone who is two people? Anyone praying for Billy Graham and his worldwide ministry was just one person. Thereafter, I prayed for him regularly. And ever since his departure for glory, I’ve lifted his children Franklin and Anne to Him.
To pray, we must get past these foolish little obstacles we throw up to excuse our unbelief. For that’s what they are.
Three. “Well, all we can do is pray.”
I was reading a book on helping a child come to faith in Jesus. Thirty-five chapters dealt with every aspect of the subject. The title of chapter 35 hit me like a slap in the face: Finally, all we can do is pray.
The last thing we can do and the least thing. Doesn’t that sound like us? Our fleshly minds and sinful hearts keep insisting that prayer is basically worthless and mostly useless. And we buy into that lie from hell.
I’ve been in church services where I was to preach where not a single prayer was offered before I rose. I’ve attended funeral services conducted by preachers who did not voice a single prayer. It makes you wonder what they believe. If anything.
The best thing I can do for you is to pray for you. The greatest thing I can do for you is to pray for you. The most. The highest. The godliest.
Somewhere I heard about a family having a discussion about some problem they were facing. At length, someone said, “Well, we should pray about it.” The grandma, according to the storyteller, said, “Oh Lord. Has it come to that?”
It always comes to that. Therefore it should start with that.
Nothing tells the story of our faith like our praying.
Why aren’t you praying?
(Editor's Note: This was posted first on Dr. McKeever's blog site HERE).
