I Don't Think Prayer is an Option

Rachel Hauck
Church on the Rock - Melbourne

I don’t think prayer is an option. Paul admonished the Believers in Thessalonica, “pray without ceasing” Th. 5:17. But somehow the business and distractions of this life squeeze out prayer. I’ve been guilty of a prayerless life. Days going by without much more than a few sentences to the One who loves me. A few blips of tongues here and there. Yet I know prayer is cornerstone of every Believer’s life. Prayer is merely talking to God from our hearts, from His own word. Prayer is the Body of Christ joining together to touch heaven.

So let me appeal to our base human instinct: selfishness. “What about me?” If initially we can’t go to God because His worthiness is beyond our limited human grasp, then let’s go to Him because our desire is for pleasure, to have it “well with my soul.”

We are more than willing to getting up early for the gym, or breakfast with a friend, or staying up late to watch Leno or Letterman (do people do that anymore?) because we enjoy it all. We find some kind of value in it. We get a rush from doing what we love. So, how about we plug in to God time with the same passion and desire?

Look, I’m not saying skip the gym or breakfast with friends. I love both of those things. And I’ve had my fair share of late night laughs, but if those things are choking out prayer, why not exchange those temporal pleasure for eternal ones? Work is the same. Some days I head straight to work. I feel so pressed to meet a deadline and skip God time. How many workouts have we sweated through, not enjoying it? How many so-so television shows have we watched just to catch the one or two exciting episodes of the season? How many sporting events have we dozed off watching only to wake up for an exciting, or not-so-exciting finish? How many hours of the working day have we blown surfing the internet? Oh, is that only me? My bad… Oops.

Yet we do all those things because we love them. We are devoted to our routines, our shows, our passions. So why can’t we put the same energy and passion toward prayer? “Ah, it’s boring. I don’t get the point. If God is sovereign, what good will my prayers do?”

Lots! For one thing, how do you know God’s sovereignty isn’t contingent on His Beloved partnering with Him in prayer? How do we know God is just waiting, hanging over the balcony of heaven, dreaming of releasing an answer to our prayers the moment we utter them? He does not have it all planned out without our hearts and words in mind.

If we’re willing to endure the “boring” things of getting in shape, learning an instrument, or craft, or enduring entertainment in it’s drab moments, or the doldrums of work, why can’t we give the same consideration to the greatest activity we’ll ever endure? Prayer. The privilege and honor of engaging the Almighty because He wants to hear from us. Let’s work on upping our game. Run the race to win.

Imitators of Christ

Rachel Hauck
Church on the Rock - Melbourne

Why pray? I mean, isn’t God sovereign? What can our weak words do? How can we effect the mind and plans of the living God?

That is small thinking. Even wrong thinking. Prayer is the one thing Jesus demonstrated over and over. Prayer is how we get to know the love and heart of the Father. Perhaps, His sovereign will is that we pray, partnering with Him for His kingdom to come onearth as it is in heaven. The outcome of our life and political, economical and social situations may very well be determined by the prayers of the Elect. You and me.

Jesus said, “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” He said to the people, “It is written, ‘AND MY HOUSE SHALL BE A HOUSE OF PRAYER,’ but you have made it a ROBBERS’ DEN.”

House of Prayer. Jesus wants us, His dwelling place, to be a house of prayer. Individually and corporately. Even now, Jesus the God-Man is “…able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Heb 7:25 Jesus lives to make intercession for us. If He’s seeking the Father on our behalf, how can we do less?

Psalm 72 talks about the Righteous King during His Millennial reign. Here’s what verse 15 says, “So may he live, and may the gold of Sheba be given to him; 
And let them pray for him continually; 
Let them bless him all day long.” We will be engaged in intercession for and to Jesus in the age to come. How critical it is in this life to learn the attributes, attitudes and construct of prayer. Prayer is hard. No doubt. It’s a discipline.

Shelley Hundley talks about coming to the Lord in those hard, dark times in her book, Cry for Justice. “…only during my life time on the earth do I have the opportunity to impact the heart of God in the midst of darkness, accusation and blindness. I have a chance only today to love Him in the midst of my current hardship, for this is when my heart feels nothing and sees nothing, but still I move in love toward the One I cannot see. And His heart is most undone. I feel nothing but He feels everything.” We want prayer to be easy, to be about “me.” But prayer is about Him. And in His great mercy and kindness, He called us to partner with Him in love and to work to bring His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

Let’s not have a temporal but eternal attitude of prayer. Kind of like saving money. Most of us want money when we retire from our jobs, but find it hard to not spend and save now. But if we would just set aside so much money per paycheck, and leave it alone, no matter what, over time, we will see the fruit of our labor. Same with diet and exercise. Or any life discipline. Guarding our tongue. Controlling our emotions. It’s easy to do when we are feed, rested, satisfied, happy, when life is going our way. Harder when we are famished, tired, weary, feeling beat up by the world.

Prayer connects us with heaven. With the heart of God. Prayer changes us. Let’s not stand before Him one day and give an account for a prayerless life.

Weapons of our Warfare

Rachel Hauck
Church on the Rock - Melbourne

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete." 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

It’s hard in our American reality – which I love, btw – to comprehend living in a war zone. Bombs do not explode outside our windows or down the street. We don’t fear, on the average, walking into a mall and having a suicide bomber blow us all up. We shop in grocery stores that have full shelves and clothing stores that over flow with goods. Most of us have a cell phone, a computer and a half way decent car. We are entertained by flat screen TVs and movies on demand. What war? What fight? Why do I need to pick up a weapon? And, what weapon might that be?

But we are in a fight. The apostle Peter warns, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” And that someone might just be you. You don’t fear mall bombings? But fear the lure of the lust of the eye and the lust of the flesh, and the boastful pride of life that comes flinging toward us every day: Via the media, via movies, news, talk, books, electronic devices, and all forms of entertainment. Perhaps even people we call friends.

I can tell most Christians aren’t aware of the fight by the size of the common prayer meeting. We grip and claw our way through life, wishing God would “just do something,” or wonder, “why does God allow bad things to happen?” And He’s leaning over the balcony of heaven, screaming, “Pick up your weapon!”

Listen, beloved, we have ALL authority in Jesus. Kick those temptations, doldrums, and spiritual attacks in the teeth. It’s your God given right. Wake up early. It won’t kill you. Trust me. Head off to the local prayer meeting and wage war with the saints. If that’s all it takes to be victorious….?

What’s the delay?

We have no excuse really. We don’t. I don’t. And I’m kind of fond of excuses. But, when I give an account to the Lord, I’d rather know I went through life fighting than realize I just laid down my weapon and let the enemy have his way.

See you at prayer.
Peace!