Prayer Encounterz

Ever wondered how many prayers are mentioned in the entirety of the Biblical text? Well, Herbert Lockyer published these prayers for us. You have the opportunity of downloading the Table of Contents of this document by simply accessing this web address. You will find titles to the prayers including chapter reference. Be careful when you read the references. Sometimes the page reference of Lockyer’s book is mixed with it. For instance, Lamentations: Prayer As Complaint-Lam 3:147 – should possibly be 3:1-17. II Thessalonians 3:1-5. 257 probably is II Thessalonians 2:5-7, 3:1-5. Keep your eyes open and you should be able to cipher what’s happening.

Over thirty years ago Rev. C.E. French delivered a message at a large Pentecostal church in Tennessee. French had been a missionary, returned to the states, and his wife was teaching at a nearby college. At the time he was probably in his sixties. I happened to be in that service. His sermon left an indelible impression upon my heart.

In his delivery Rev. French told the story of a missionary evangelist, preaching a revival in the foreign country where he was laboring and who was staying in the home of the pastor hosting the revival. One day the missionary had an inclination to do some shopping and wound up at a local grocery market. While there he felt inclined to pick up several items. Doing so, he questioned his actions and wondered why he would have any desire to purchase these particular products. All the while he was buffeted by the devil with disconcerting thoughts of how the pastor would view his bringing these goodies back to the parsonage.

On his walk back to the pastor’s home he was passing a housing unit that had a stairway with several landings. He felt impressed to go up those stairs. Having arrived at the second or third landing he was then directed to a particular door. When the evangelist knocked on the door a little old lady opened the door saying, “Hello, I’m Granny Hurt. How is it with your soul today?” The evangelist quickly explained that he had picked up several items at the grocery store, felt that he had been directed to Granny’s door, and offered the bag of merchandise that he had purchased. Granny said, “Let me get my list.” She retrieved a list written on a piece of brown paper and carefully went through her list checking to see if everything was in the bag. Then she said, “Well, Lord, I see you sent me everything I asked for today but my ginger.” Excitedly answering, the evangelist said, “Granny, as sure as I’m standing here, the ginger is in the bottom of the bag.”

Granny Hurt was one of those wonderful souls who wholeheartedly trusted God. She believed and expected that God would bring her what she needed. She may not have possessed much in this life as far as material goods are concerned, but she had a radiant life that few ever find.

Many years ago it was also my privilege to hear a popular evangelist tell of how he would visit his grandmother, staying with her a few days at a time. During those visits he noticed that his grandmother spent a lot of time in prayer. On one occasion his grandmother said that prayer was a real struggle during her prayer time. “The sky was as brass” she stated, but God still answered. A knock came to her door and someone brought her food. This little widow trusted God for everything. Most of her small social security pension was given to the local church. What a blessed life she lived!

A vibrant prayer life is a radiant life because praying brings one into communion and fellowship with the Living Christ.

In Luke 18 Jesus speaks a parable with the purpose of teaching that “men ought always to pray and not faint!” We have here in a certain city a widow and we have an unjust judge who had no regard for God or man. Yet, because this widow continually comes to him pleading for him to avenge her of her adversary, he decides to respect her wish and grant her petition. In His parable, Jesus says, “hear what the unjust judge saith.” In respect to this parable there are several items of interest that are noteworthy.

First, it is possible for men to faint. From time to time we all become discouraged over something. Many times we pray over extended periods of time without there seeming to be any end, answer, or way. We are flesh and blood. We do not nor can we see the future. What we see is right now. At the time of the parable the widow is terribly disturbed by an adversary. Who or what the trouble was we are only left to speculate. Whatever it was, the problem was weighing heavily upon this widow, so much so that she felt there was absolutely no way out except the judge avenge her.

Secondly, Jesus is telling us to pray. The very idea of prayer itself suggests many things. If we are to pray, then the entity (person, God) to whom we pray must be able to hear us. And if there is the ability to hear there must still be the ability to act on our behalf. There would be no need to just scream out into the open air if no one was to hear. There would be no need to cry out into space if no one is available to come to our rescue. Jesus is telling us to pray BECAUSE THERE IS an All Powerful, All Seeing, and everywhere Present All sufficient God who not only hears, has the ability to help, but finds pleasure in rescuing His beloved.

Thirdly, Jesus says something that is strange. Here is Jesus, our Righteous Redeemer, God in the flesh, but He tells us to hear — hear what? Hear what this “unjust judge” is saying. Can you find or think of any other place in the scripture where we are told to hear what an unjust person is saying? I don’t know of any. But, you see, this unjust judge is speaking a truth. What is that truth? He said in essence, “she is not going to quit coming to me.” If I don’t avenge her today she will be back here tomorrow. And, she will continue until she completely wears me out. This unjust judge understood and recognized the tenacity and perseverance with which this widow continued coming to him. Did you get the message? DON’T QUIT!!!!!!!

Keep on praying! Keep on crying out to God! If He doesn’t answer today, be back crying out to Him tomorrow! Do not let God alone until you get your answer! Like a bull dog sticks in a fight, lay hold of the horns of the altar and don’t turn lose until your answer comes. MY WHAT A MESSAGE!! I feel the Holy Spirit now as I am writing this post. God wants to help. Jesus told us to pray. He knows God will speedily avenge His elect who cry day and night unto him even though He bear long with them. We must continue in FAITH KNOWING that He hears, He sees, He is able, He will answer. Cry with all of your heart, with all of your might, with all of your soul to God.

And Fourthly, Jesus says there is a remedy to fainting. There is a remedy to weariness and helplessness. It is coming to the end of yourself and totally trusting and depending upon God. I have many stories to tell of how God has come through for me. Some of those will be shared in later posts. But for now, please — KNOW that God truly loves you and He will answer your prayer just as surely as He will any other person’s prayer. One of my favorite scriptures is Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

Charles Grandison Finney was one of the outstanding revivalists of the early nineteenth century.  Shortly after my conversion I started reading Finney’s Revival Lectures. What a powerful treatise on revival. Finney was a trained lawyer who came under conviction from reading Scripture. He noted that most of the law books of his day relied on the Old Testament law. Coming under conviction, Finney would go off into the woods to pray. Even the movement of a little bird caused him to see he was a proud man. Surrendering himself to God as best he knew how, Finney returned to his law office saying to himself, “If I ever am converted I will preach the Gospel.” And that he did.  His preaching was with such power and force that at one place where Finney preached everyone in the congregation fell on their faces before God. Finney later became president of Oberlin College, Oberlin Ohio, from 1851 to 1866. There Finney taught his theology students to pray until they were exhausted if necessary, until they received from God.

Here is an interesting thought from Charles Grandison Finney on Prayer. Just click HERE.