27 November 2016

(Excerpts from In Everything by Prayer, Dr SH Tow)

My dear readers,

1. PRAYING ALONE IN SECRET (Matthew 14:22-23, Mark 1:35)

If our prayer life is to make progress, it is not enough merely to have a definite appointed time each day to commune with God. We must also find a place to be alone with Him. Our Lord said, "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to the Father which is in secret" (Matt 6:6). We must make a determined effort to shut out the world with its distractions and interruptions, for the world hates the things of God (Jn 7:7). We cannot enter into deep and serious communion with God unless we exclude the sounds and sights of the world.

Our Lord set us the example. Even though He lived in constant and unbroken prayer fellowship with His Father, nevertheless He found it necessary at times to withdraw from the multitudes and from the hustle and bustle of life in order to be alone with God. The world and its influences are disturbing and destructive toward our communion with God. If the son of God found it necessary to be alone with God, how much more we, frail creatures of dust!

In our present state we are exposed to external influences, happenings and circumstances. We cannot avoid seeing, hearing and sensing the things that go on around us. Even our dearest (our spouse and children) they detract. Today the media intrudes into our bedrooms and living rooms. The world presses in on every hand. All these influences crowd in upon us and separate us from God. We must take appropriate remedial action to exclude anything that comes between us and God.

But, you say, modern living makes it almost impossible to find a quiet or secret place. Where there’s a will, there’s a way! Use the pre-dawn hour before the rest of the world gets active! Our Lord rose up a great while before the dawn and went to a solitary place to pray. Can we not get up too? At times, can we not also find a solitary place, just to be alone with God?

Lord, make me willing to pay the price to make my prayer life effective.

2. USE NOT VAIN REPETITIONS (Matthew 6:5-8, 1 Kings 18:26-29)

Idolatrous and pagan religions use much repetition in their prayers. The Baal priest called on the name of Baal "from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us."

The Roman Catholic Church in the year 1090 introduced the pagan rosary worship into its system. Attached to the recitation of "Hail Mary" are many promises e.g. "signal graces," "eternal life," etc, etc. To those who recite the rosary devoutly on their knees, the Virgin Mary is said to be able to add many indulgences "to every fifty Hail Marys." The ideal is, the more the better.

Our Lord’s teaching exposes the falsehood behind these empty promises. Jesus said, "When ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him." The efficacy of one’s prayer depends not on "much speaking" but on our relationship to God the Father who alone hears and answers prayer. God hears the prayers of believers only. The only prayer of an unbeliever that God hears is the prayer of repentance when he accepts Christ as his Lord and Saviour. If we pray in an acceptable manner, "in Spirit and in truth," with clean hands and a pure heart and in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, our prayers will be answered. This is our Lord’s promise.

But to keep up a recitation of words (like some "magic password") is not acceptable to God. Furthermore, there is no biblical authority for addressing any prayer to Mary who was after all only a human being. To pray to a person is to dishonour God. It is blasphemy.

Let us pray without using "vain repetitions."

Can you repeat the prayer of the thief on the cross? Lord, teach me to pray "in Spirit and in truth."

3. ASK IN MY NAME (Psalm 89:24-29, John 14:13)

"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." These words of our Lord specifically teach us how we should approach God in prayer. Every prayer must be brought to God and sealed in the name of Jesus. Our entire prayer experience must derive its inspiration and authentication by the name of Jesus, the name "which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow... and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father" (Phil 2:10-11).

You ask, "Why must we pray only in the name of Jesus?" The simple answer is: our Lord Jesus alone reconciled us unto God (Rom 5:10,11; Eph 2:13-17) Without Christ we are without hope. Without Christ no man can approach God. Man can only approach God in the merits of Christ’s finished work at Calvary. We are strangers from the covenants of promise, enemies, far from God. "For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father" (Eph 2:18). Jesus is our mediator, the only mediator between God and man (1 Tim 2:5). Apart from Jesus, we have no way to approach unto God (Jn 14:6) Therefore, all our prayers and petitions must be authorised by His blessed name.

Some troubled son finds it impossible to approach God in prayer. As he stands in the heavenly light, he is convicted by God’s holy Word. He sees his sins, his past wicked life, his filthy thoughts and immoral acts, his sin-blackened heart. To turn to God is a fearful thought. He feels a great barrier separating him from an angry God. The holy God will have nothing to do with such an unclean person as he is. To such a son, the name Jesus will give him a safe access to a holy God.

God’s light shines through. The penitent sinner begins to see what the name of Jesus means. With joy and gratitude he enters into the presence of God. There, in the name of Jesus, his prayer is heard and accepted. Jesus! His name will be our song of praise through all eternity!

Are you praying to God through another name or person?

Only Jesus, always Jesus!

Yours faithfully in the Saviour’s Service,

Dr SH Tow, Sr Pastor