GPS – Prayer’s Effectiveness, Commitment

by Rick Shrader

Note: This series will consist of five phases: Created-parenting, Pre-parenting, Parenting, Post-parenting, Grand-parenting. Each of these phases will have four sections

Section 4. Prayer’s Effectiveness – Commitment (article #16)

“And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually” (Job 1:5). Prayer is one of those topics that is easy to speak about and difficult to practice. Paul listed four kinds of prayer to young Timothy: supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks (1 Tim. 2:1). We have all said the words, “I’ll be praying for you,” then we failed to keep our promise. When it comes to our children and grandchildren, this is a promise we can’t afford not to keep.

Regular prayer

Job rose up early every day and offered sacrifices for his children. At least we don’t have to do that! But the New Testament admonishes us, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Heb. 13:15-16).

Creation allows it. David said, “Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice” (Psa. 55:17). When Daniel heard bad news he also opened his window and prayed three times that day (Dan. 6:10). God and Adam met in the garden in the cool of the day (Gen. 3:8). God made the cycles of nature so that we could fellowship with Him on a regular basis. We eat and sleep by that clock, surely we can pray also.

Our fallen nature requires it. We are well aware of the old nature within us, warring against the law of our minds (Rom. 7:23). Prayer is the antidote to our distractions. Even when it comes to our prayer commitments, we are carried away by time and circumstance. Those for whom we pray are not affected by our distractions, only by our lack of prayer.

Our spiritual walk desires it. We are servants to what we obey (Rom. 6:16). To walk with the Lord of the universe and know His presence creates a thirst within us to talk with Him. We desire to hear Him, to know Him, to be led of Him. When the needs of our loved ones come to us, we should naturally desire to bring it before the Lord.

Availing prayer

James wrote, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (Jas. 5:16). Then he used the example of Elijah who prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and then that it would rain, and God answered his fervent prayers. James also spoke about “the prayer of faith” that will save the sick and lead him to repentance. Our prayers for our children avail much. Keep these things in mind.

Ask for His governance. I’ve been on a college board for twenty years and I’ve experienced a lot of talk about “governance.” Those in charge must oversee the operations with good governing principles. William Wilberforce, the great British statesman, once wrote, “Who can say how intercession before the Governor of the universe may avert for a while our ruin” (Real Christianity, 130). “For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever” (Rom. 11:36). We should, in prayer, “commit our souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator” (1 Pet. 4:19). He is able, and will do, what is best.

Accept His guidance. We are often searching for God’s will in our lives. I find myself searching often for His will in my children’s and grandchildren’s lives. Even when we have made all our plans, James warns, “Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that” (Jas. 4:15). Often what I think is priority, the Lord directs otherwise. Paul prayed for the Colossians whom he had never met saying, “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Col. 1:9). Pray for their wisdom and accept the direction in which God leads.

Look for His providence. We have used this English word a lot when speaking of God’s will. It is used once in the KJV by a lost man, Tertullus (Acts 24:2), when seeking to subvert God’s will. The Greek word is pronoia, “to see before” and translated “provision” in the NKJV. The only other time is appears in the NT is Rom. 13:14, “Make no provision for the flesh.” We might say that God’s “providence” is truly His “pro-vision.” We take provisions with us when we travel. We should pray that God is packing our spiritual suitcase with His provisions!

Don’t be surprised by His omnipotence. I add this fourth thought because God is truly omnipotent. Yes, there are some things God has told us not to expect in the age in which we live, but there are things He may do “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Eph. 5:20). Why limit God in our requests if they are not expressly unallowed in Scripture? And why should we be surprised if He actually does it?

Intercessory prayer

How comforting was it to Peter when Jesus said, “I have prayed for you that your faith should not fail” (Lk. 22:32)? Paul was constantly praying for the various churches: “Always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy” (Phil. 1:4). “We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you” (Col. 1:3). These believers were Paul’s spiritual children. How much more should we be praying for our very own children!

They are people too! Of course they are, but do you know what I mean? We may have a dozen other people on our pray list, either personal or at church, for which we pray on a regular basis. And yet in all of that effort, we can neglect our own family because we take it for granted that God is watching over us. I use our church prayer list when I pray for others. So when I pray for my children, I use objects in the room to remind me of each one. When I pray for our eleven grandchildren, I have a picture of each one in front of me so that I can see the faces. If men’s minds are like waffles, you understand my necessity.

They are immature. In so many ways our children are growing up beyond our limited lifetime. In many ways they will be far beyond us. Yet, in so many important spiritual characteristics, they have not traveled the road which we have. Haven’t we all wished we could go back in time and change a certain decision we made? Well, we can’t in our lives but we can in the lives of our children. We can help them change that before it happens, like a spiritual time-machine that allows us even something better than for ourselves—a positive change in their lives!

They are at crucial junctions. I’ve already written often about the junctions in the road. I’ve also updated the analogy from a four-way stop to a round-about. Sometimes, you have to be in the correct lane to either exit or not, especially in the larger intersections. There are many dangerous exits in life from the right path with God. Prayer will help the child to be in the right lane in order to make the right turn.

C.S. Lewis once used the expression, the “dignity of causality” to describe the gift of prayer God has given to us. We can use this gift in one of two ways. We can do things ourselves and that is a dignity we have as human beings in His image. This is the way we operate 95% of the time. Or, we can ask God to do it, and that is a dignity given to His children also. We use this dignity about 5% of the time. Compare the ability you have with the ability God has and ask yourself which gift you should be using the most. It is better to humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God and let Him exalt you in due time!