Standing Strong On Bended Knees, Part 3of3, Evans Olang

Mark 6:30-32, vs. 30, “Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. 31 And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves”

Mark 6:32, “So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves”. The disciples listened to Jesus’ call. Luke 11:1, “Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” A disciple of Jesus never asked Him to teach them how to preach, heal the sick, raise the dead. They asked Him to teach them to pray. His classes on prayer was always offsite. What about us? Misguided passion leaves us stubborn to do what we want rather than what He wants.

This message is so important and should be heralded because“Prayer is the greatest of all forces, it honors God and brings Him into active aid”, E.M. Bounds. “The priority of prayer in Jesus life, the great majority of His words dealt with one thing, a passion for God to be glorified throughout the world”, Paul Washer. Prayer is about PASSION, zeal, drive, hunger, burden to make God’s NAME GREAT (GLORY OF GOD) and ADVANCE His KINGDOM and not ours. This is why He is saying, especially to ministers, come away and rest in Me in prayer. The disciples went out on the account of Jesus prayer power, Jesus was bringing them to a place where they would learn the secret prayer power for God is not most glorified in what we accomplish, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him”, John Pipper.

As we have established how instrumental prayer was for Christ, the zeal for His house as a house of prayer revealed holy justified anger because His house priorities were violated. “And He said to them, “It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer”, Matthew 21:12-17. Our hearts ought to be a house of prayer; our churches ought to be established on the foundation of prayer. It is the foundation by which God’s work is to be completed. Jesus could have named it a house of worship, preaching or even fellowship, however, He called it a house of prayer because preaching, worship, fellowship and any activity in our churches hinges on prayer. Prayer is the nucleus that holds the pastors, leaders, homes, marriages, Christian life, the church, the country etc. Without prayer, we are doomed to fail however spectacular things are. “There is no other activity in life so important as that of prayer. Every other activity depends upon prayer for its best efficiency.”, M.E. Andross.

Hudson Taylor a missionary to china in 1800AD penned these words, “The prayer power has never been tried to its full capacity. If we want to see Divine power wrought in the place of weakness, failure, and disappointment, let us answer God’s standing challenge, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know”, Jeremiah 33:3.

“The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray.” Samuel Chadwick, we must therefore pray. Paul address to Timothy, “Therefore I exhort FIRST of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men…”, 1Timothy 2:1. The reason being, “If the axe is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength;…”, Ecclesiastes 10:10

Let us be done with misguided passion that robs God of the glory He would gain from our lives and ministry because we have excluded Him due to lack of prayer. Let us go back to daily slipping away to a deserted place and make this our cry, 1. Lord Teach Me To Pray; 2. Lord Give Me A Praying Spirit and; 3. Lord Give Me A Burden To Pray. “The true church lives and moves and has its being in prayer.” Leonard Ravenhill. What do you want to be known for? a man or woman of prayer I hope. “I would rather teach one man to pray than ten men to preach”, Charles Spurgeon.  Men and women of God are not strong when they are standing but when they are on bended knees praying. Blessings Ev

*** I had the priviledge of being one of the writers for Pastor Gregg Johnson’s Leadership Teaching Magazine in 2012, for more on prayer articles, please check out www.leadershipteachingmagazine.com