importunity?

Dear Friends,

Scripture says the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Jam 5:16

As I said yesterday, Tennessee has declared July a month of prayer and fasting. See HERE and HERE. And see short video HERE.

I couldn’t be happier. I don’t think the current battle is going to be won without God’s help, and without securing His help through effectual prayer.

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Jesus told us to pray that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

THAT statement presupposes that God’s will is NOT being done on earth as it is in heaven, at least not all the time. (Some people have strange theology.)

The big question is, how do we pray effectually to the securing of God’s will?

I think the art of prayer has, by and large, been lost on modern man. We are always in a hurry. We want a genie in a bottle. That is not our God. That is a figment of our poor imaginations. God has many and great interests to consider as He governs over the affairs of men. Power destroys people. Even spiritual power. Look what it did to Solomon. God delivers wisdom and power very judiciously.

They that WAIT upon the Lord renew their strength (and wisdom and discernment), and I mean actively and patiently wait, in active prayer and fellowship. (Isa 40) Can we not watch and tarry and wait “one hour”? (Mark 14)

Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. (Luke 11.) He must have done most of His praying alone, otherwise His disciples would have learned by watching and listening.

Anyway, in response, He said:
Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? (Luk 11:5-13)

Importunity? What’s that?

Persistence. Persistence in fellowship and petition. Repetition in personal, private prayer is not vain.

Oftentimes, God needs to change us as we pray before He can answer us. And not many people want to be changed. Change is hard. Easier to go on with life as it is. Until it isn’t.

All I know is that it takes time to get into a real spirit of prayer and into real fellowship with God (unless we are in the habit). Again, we are too busy. God must see our hearts and know that we are putting His glory first. If His glory isn’t first, then we are seeking our own glory.

Answered prayer is a powerful thing. And it carries a tendency to make us think more highly of ourselves than we ought. (Rom 12)

I usually spend the bulk of my time in prayer cultivating humility before God. I don’t think I’ve yet crossed the threshold of praying prayers that avail much.

In other words, I’m not praying enough.

I intend to change that.

God bless,

Robert J. Borer
P.S. May God help us all to pray. And pray effectually. But more so, to pray just for the enjoyment of being in His presence. Again, as the psalmist said, a day in His presence is better than a thousand without. I’d rather be a lowly doorkeeper in His courts than dwell at ease in any mansion of the wicked.