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Articles
Simple Prayers
What makes a prayer impactful and/or memorable? Is it the length of a prayer? What about its eloquence in presentation? Must a prayer contain common phrases and vocabulary? Could we be guilty of becoming so enamored by these subjective opinions regarding prayer that we lose focus on the One who listens and answers our prayers? Can we become so focused on sounding the part in our prayers that we forget about opening up to our heavenly Father? The most meaningful prayer will not always be the longest or the most eloquent, but rather the one spoken directly from the heart.
The Bible is an encyclopedia of prayer and its various forms. The Bible contains prayers of penitence, prayers of hope, prayers of strength, and prayers of great trial and sorrow. The prayers that are recorded vary in length, from a couple of verses to entire Psalms, but they collectively express a heart of gratitude and of awe of the heavenly Father. When you begin to survey the prayers of the Bible - it does not take long to see how essential prayer should be in our daily lives.
In the 19th Psalm, David wrote about how God’s glory was manifested through His creation, and through His infallible and perfect word. In the final verse of the psalm, David prayed – “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer” (19:14). This simple prayer should be adopted immediately into our own public and private prayers. We all desperately need the Lord’s help to ensure that our words and thoughts are in accordance to His will and acceptable in His sight. May the prayer of David be repeated continually in our lives.
Upon Asa’s ascension to the throne in Judah, he was immediately faced with the invading army of Zerah the Ethiopian. The foreign army came against Judah and outnumbered them almost 2:1. When Asa saw the great army assembled against Judah, he prayed – “Lord, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; let not man prevail against You” (2 Chronicles 14:11). Asa’s prayer was a cry for the Lord’s deliverance and the Lord answered his prayer – “So the Lord routed the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah…” (14:12a). When we have come against a trial which seems insurmountable – remember Asa’s prayer and cry out to God for His strength and deliverance.
When Nehemiah heard about Jerusalem’s walls being broken down and its gates burned with fire, he was motivated to return and help in their rebuilding. The Lord blessed Nehemiah, and in the short period of fifty-two days the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt (6:15). The work that Nehemiah accomplished in Jerusalem was faced with obstacles and discouragement from outside forces, but Nehemiah was able to lead the people courageously and brought peace and safety back to the city of Jerusalem. Nehemiah cared not only for the physical safety and well-being of his countrymen, but he also brought a spiritual revival to the city and a renewal of the covenant shared between Israel and God. At the end of Nehemiah’s work, he prayed – “Remember me, O my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people” (5:19; 13:14, 31). This simple prayer reminds us that our strength and salvation rests in the grace and mercy of God. May we imitate Nehemiah who lived selflessly and sacrificed for others, so that in the end that our Father may remember us!
In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus came to the conclusion of His earthly ministry (Luke 22:39-44). Judas had already deserted Him and was currently bringing the enemy’s forces to arrest Jesus. Jesus did not run away from the impending mob, but rather He proceeded to the Mount of Olives knowing exactly what was before Him. After He instructed the disciple’s to pray, He withdrew Himself a stone’s throw from them and knelt down and began to pray – “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” This simple prayer manifested an obedient heart to the point of death, even death on a cross. Jesus understood what His arrest meant and the pain that He would soon experience, but He was determined to fulfill the Father’s will. Praise be to God for His humility and obedient heart!
We need to become more like Jesus who prayed without ceasing, especially when He faced the agonizing end of His life. Jesus prayed with loud cries and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety (Hebrews 5:7). Jesus trusted in the Father and He became the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2). Our prayers do not have to be long and filled with eloquent words/phrases to be memorable in the sight of God. They just need to be spoken directly from our hearts! May God give us the wisdom to pray without ceasing, trusting always in His providential care and power.
