The subject of prayer was recently brought to my attention, and the one who mentioned it said we need to learn how to pray once again… or something to that affect. We are out of practice.

I have been rather on the sketchy side when it comes to prayer, lately, except when I see a direct request for prayer, which I do, then stop there. I used to be on “thought prayer” basis with God – where in any circumstance, happy, sad, whatever, I would think a quick prayer.

Lame example: I forgot I had beans boiling on the stove and they were running out of water, so I run in the kitchen thinking, “please don’t let them burn!” and then, upon seeing they were ok, “thank you, Lord!”

Is that going out of hand? Is it silly to pray about such mundane happenings in your daily life? I don’t think so. The Bible does say, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thes 5:17) after all. However – I think the meaning of prayer is lost to most of us, especially when we, ourselves, get too caught up in the “mundane happenings of life”. We must be careful to set aside a time for prayer as well, set aside from our constant “thought prayers”. There are things that take a considerable amount of dedication, I think, to be a successful prayer warrior. All of this I am saying to myself, because, as I stated above – I am struggling with this very thing right now.

James 5:16: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” What does it mean to have an “effectual” prayer? The definition of ‘effectual’ states, “potentially successful in producing a desired or intended result” – how do you succeed at something? I believe it is by trying again, and again, until you get it right. Working at it until you have it just right. How do we know when it is just right in the eyes of God? Fervent means: “showing ardent or extremely passionate enthusiasm”. This sounds just like praying without ceasing! Every time you think about a person with cancer, for instance, and you either think or say a prayer to the Lord on their behalf, is a prayer becoming more effectual, and it is made fervent by the feeling you put into it. The person with cancer is one that you care a great deal for, or perhaps your sympathies toward them or their family have been awakened. This adds the fervent part - anything you feel much about. But should it be only a case of someone you know and love, and therefore easy to feel much for? No – I believe that we must feel this way no matter who or what we pray for!

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”  (John 13:34) Say you hear about a catastrophe in a far off land, such as we recently heard about the Philippines, and India, being flooded and many losing their homes and in need of food. Aside from the physical nourishment and aid that they need for us to give, we ought also to pray for them, and yes – fervently and effectually. How do you feel passionately enough about them, though, if you do not know them personally? Well, how does Jesus do it? In that verse, He says to love one another, as He loves us. He died for us! Are we willing to give up our comfortable homes, and peaceful bubbles of fat, comfortable richness in this land to go to their aid? I think it is when we lose the affection we have for our earthly treasures and dedicate our lives and belongings to the help of others that we truly begin to barely realize a small measure of Jesus’ love. This He even says Himself in Matthew 19:21 – “Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” How do we do this through prayer?

A lot of what we do is mental, whether we think so or not. You’ll find this true with a lot of things. One thing I’ve learned through my physical therapy I’ve been in for my back, is that I can “train my mind,” so to speak, to work the muscles I need to be strengthened. We can do just this by exercising our minds towards God’s work. Instead of focusing on the riches we own or wish to own (I am still working on this, it is a very hard lesson to learn!) we must instead focus on learning to appreciate what can never be earned. First and foremost is Jesus’ glorious sacrifice. Knowing this, how dare we be so selfish and think that we ‘deserve’ certain things in life? Secondly, our family – given us by God and a true blessing, even when it sometimes doesn’t feel like it, sometimes feel stuck to it, but they’re always there. Thirdly, look at the nature around us. Even in a dreary day with drizzle and clouds, there will be something to be thankful for, something that is beautiful. Now, after noticing these three things, does your shiny kitchen table look nearly as appealing as before? Or the new sofa you just bought? Now with your new perspective, and this has to be “exercised” daily, because we weak humans often forget, think about the poor, or those in the midst of calamity, who do not have even the smallest comfort that you enjoy. It is very easy to conjure sympathy, but is it so easy to truly love those people? You feel sorry for them, yet at the same time, subconsciously, you are glad it isn’t you. Am I right?

I don’t want to stray too far from my original intent here: the subject of prayer, effectual, fervent, and sorely needed in this country and the world. I addressed the prayers for those in calamity… How do we pray for those we have a natural tendency to despise, or not respect? For people who have wronged us? We have a natural desire to feel victimized and wronged, quite easily, and again speaking to myself, this is not the attitude God wants us to have. If anyone in the whole history of the world was ever truly “wronged” where they deserved no wrong, it was Jesus Christ Himself. Glorious, Precious, Perfect Son of God, who was brutally tortured and murdered – and He let it happen, because He loved us! Now look at your own life: how many mistakes have you made? Can you count them? How many times have you done a pure, premeditated, good deed? Count those, and then compare the two. Which outweighs the other? Each wrong we do is really a wrong toward Jesus Christ. Every sin pounds another nail into His flesh. Every wicked, selfish thought or deed sends searing hot pain through His heart, and through His precious nail-pierced hand. Now how can we look at other fellow, weak, human beings, and feel wronged by them? I know, it is hard. I know, there are selfish acts that hurt us. But should it stop us from loving that person? No! Because we do not have the right to not love them. If Jesus loved them enough to die such a terrible, gruesome death for them – why do we not love them enough simply to pray for them?

Now it gets really hard – for my conservative friends, and I am one of them, I think it is hard to think of praying for Barrack Obama. I do not know what his plans are, what his true motives are. But I think we need to be praying for him. Not only for the laws he promotes and hopes to pass, no – but for him, personally. What about Osama Bin Laden, for us Americans? Do you care about his soul? I don’t really know what God’s views are on it, but I know He is no respecter of persons, and if that be so, He must love Osama just as much as He loves you and me. I know that should Osama not repent and change his life toward God, he will be eternally punished. But it doesn’t mean God doesn’t love him.

There are some things going on in this country at this moment that are scary to us. This is especially the time that we need to start praying! It seems that people have been becoming apathetic, and forgotten God’s will – they’ve forgotten the principles that the founding fathers of America used to form our government – principles from God’s Word! Slowly, bit by bit, over the past 100 years, the people in office have chipped away at those principles, until now, what remains is a mangled and nearly unrecognizable mass of confusion.  Don’t succumb to apathy! For your reference, the definition of ‘apathy’ reads, “1. Lack of enthusiasm or energy: lack of interest in anything, or the absence of any wish to do anything; 2. Emotional emptiness: inability to feel normal or passionate human feelings or to respond emotionally.”

How can we pray effectually and fervently for our country, for the safety of our children and grandchildren, if we fail to feel the personal passion for the cause?

Now, the ‘mundane’. In the face of those previous points I’ve just stated, it does seem rather silly to pray about a pot of beans! But again, I don’t think God views it that way. He is far beyond the reach of our imagination, understanding, or thoughts.

He tells us just that in Isaiah 55:9: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Since His thoughts and knowledge are so far beyond our comprehension, I think we should not judge that God ignores the small matters.  He cares even for the birds of the air, as it says in Matthew 10:29: "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.”  And verse 30, He cares for and knows every particle of our being: “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” If we needed that pot of beans for supper that night, because our husband was going to come home from work tired and hungry, God cares even for that. Knowing the distress I felt, as a wife, He also felt my distress. Isn’t it magnificent to think He cares even for the smallest of cares? Doesn’t it make you feel so much more confident and secure in His love and care?

Now after writing this I ask myself why I still have trouble really going to Him in prayer, fervently, effectually, and affectionately. I think there are times when we have to trust the Holy Spirit to “fill in the blanks.”  Right now, I feel very confused, and very distressed. I feel like I am in a black fuzz, a dank fog, and I am muddling through – but it blanks out every eloquence of prayer, I hardly know what to pray for anymore. I know everyone has times like these in their lives. This is why I take great comfort in the passage in Romans, chapter 8, verse 26: “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” How great a comfort!

God cares for us – and when He sees that we are trying, even when we feel like we are muddling through and can’t get anything right, He sees our heart, understands, and helps. He truly is beyond understanding, but aren’t you glad that this is the case? Would you really want a predictable God, one in whom there are no surprises and comforts? I am so glad we have a Precious, Glorious Father who cares even for our smallest troubles, way up to big ones.

All that being said – don’t you think we owe God a word of thanks? Perhaps some praise? Yes, He deserves all that and more – He deserves our whole heart, soul, body, and mind. Stop committing your mind and actions toward earthly, selfish ambitions. Oh, it’s fine to take care of your family, and pursue education and career – but put God in first place. Let Him decide your priorities! It is very hard to do, when everything feels uncertain, and like Jonah – you think He may be leading you down an unknown or unwanted path. How hard it is to let go of the reins – to let God reign in your life! In my life.

Perhaps the most important element of prayer should be our thanks to Him. The gratitude He deserves would fill the ocean with words, even the universe and all its empty spaces would overflow with the words and it would still not be enough. We, through our actions, are measly worms – yet He picks us up, transforms us, and loves us, sacrificing for us.

“I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.” Psalm 69:30.

“Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms.” Psalm 95:2

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise! Be thankful unto Him, and bless His name!” Psalm 100:4

“Fret not about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.”  Phil. 4:6

“Continue in prayer and watch therein with thanksgiving.”  Col. 4:2

And the grand Finale, in His own inspired words:

“Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving, and honor and power and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen!” Revelation 7:12

How I love God and thank Him for loving me. How miserable a human I am, who constantly fails His perfection. Let’s all endeavor to be like Him.

If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Romans 12:18

God knew that not all would obey His commands, and that is why Christ warned:

Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. (Mark 13:12)

The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. (Luke 12:53)

I have seen this in my own family, and various others. But not only is it true for families, it is true for countries... if we would all love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 19:19) there would be no need for violence and war. But since not all have obeyed God it is now an unfortunate  necessity, and world-wide peace will Never be accomplished until God does away with the evil one.