Prayer
“The thing that will reveal your faith is praying when no answer comes. That's the supreme test.” —Brother Lester Roloff, from the sermon titled, Something Everybody Can Do
God's Mind Can Be Changed
By Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001)
God Wants to Train Us in Persistent Faith
Why is it that God does not give to us the things that we ask, the first time we ask? The answer is plain: He would do us the far greater good of training us in persistent faith.
The things we get by our other forms of effort than prayer do not always become ours the first time we make an effort to get them.
For our own good God compels us to be persistent in our effort; just so, God does not always give us what we ask the first time we pray. Just as He would train us to be strong men and women along the other lines of effort, so also He would train us to be and make us to be strong men and women of prayer by compelling us to pray hard for the best things. He compels us to "pray through."
Many today tell us we ought not pray for the same thing a second time. Sometimes they say the way to pray is to ask God for a thing and then "take it" by faith the first time we ask.
That is true oftentimes. When we find a thing definitely promised in the Word, we can rest upon that. When we have prayed, knowing that we have asked according to God’s will, the prayer is heard, and we have received. Resting there, ask no more but claim the thing as ours.
But that is only one side of the truth. The other side is, there are times when it is not made clear the first time, nor the second time, nor the third time, that what we ask is according to His will and, therefore, the prayer is heard and the thing asked granted. In such a case we are to pray on and on and on.
While doubtless there are times when we are able through faith in the Word, or through the clear leading of the Holy Spirit, to claim a thing the first time we have asked of God, nevertheless, beyond a question there are other times when we must pray again and again and again for the same thing before we get our answer.
Those who claim that they have gotten beyond praying twice for the same thing have either gotten beyond our Master, or else they have not gotten up to Him. We are told distinctly regarding Him in Matthew 26:44, "And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words." The truth is, they have not yet gotten up to the Master, not that they have gotten beyond Him.
SOURCE: R.A. Torrey, from the sermon titled, KEEP PRAYING UNTIL GOD ANSWERS
“We are prone to categorize sin. We have a few sins that we categorize as giants ones. We list murder, adultery, homosexuality, stealing, killing, cursing, etc. Let me suggest that you put one sin at the top of the list: the sin of prayerlessness. It is the greatest of all the sins, for it includes in it a degree of atheism.”
SOURCE: Dr. Jack Hyles, a quote from the book, EXPLORING PRAYER WITH JACK HYLES, chapter 11.
The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor. The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything.
“The Christian life should be a disciplined one. The Lord chose to call us His disciples or His 'disciplined ones.' The aforementioned schedule of prayer is not the only one, but if one would take about 30 minutes a day, he would have ample time to do all the things that are suggested, and he would be amazed as to how God would hear and answer his prayers. The things that we do spontaneously are not done regularly. The things that we do regularly by schedule do get done. Prayer should be on purpose and should be planned as a part of our daily schedule. May God help us to discipline ourselves to pray!”
SOURCE: Dr. Jack Hyles, a quote from the book, EXPLORING PRAYER WITH JACK HYLES, chapter 19.
Jesus Prayed...
Luke 22:44, “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly...”
Luke 5:16, “And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.”
Mark 6:46, “And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.”
Luke 6:12, “...he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.”
Luke 22:41, “And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed.”
1st Peter 2:21, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.”
“There is also the danger in our special prayer groups for us to pray for others to improve, which is simply a way for us to criticize someone to a friend and place it in the disguise of spirituality and prayer. If one is going to pray for the improvement of another and mention his faults, it is best for him to go into the closet and pray alone.”
SOURCE: Dr. Jack Hyles, a quote from the book, EXPLORING PRAYER WITH JACK HYLES, chapter 46.
Mark 9:29, “And he said unto them, THIS KIND can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.”
Lord let me live from day to day,
In such a self-forgetful way,
That even when I kneel to pray,
My prayer shall be for
others.
Others, Lord, yes,
others;
Let this my motto be.
Help me to live for
others
That I may live like Thee.
—Dr. Jack Hyles (1926-2001)
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." —2nd Chronicles 7:14
