WHY PRAY

WBS.312

WHY PRAY?

Luke 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Master, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

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The disciples (who would become the original apostles) had been with Yahushua for nearly two years when this incident took place. It is interesting to note that the Master’s answer was the same thing he preached in the Sermon on the Mount very early in his ministry, and likely was an integral part of many of his teachings to the masses who followed him daily. By the time this event occurred, the disciples had become quite attentive to the fact that prayer was an extremely important part of his life. Those who had been disciples of John witnessed first-hand at his baptism on the very first day the Master was revealed to Israel, how significant a part prayer was in his life.

Luke 3:21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Yahushua also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,  22 And the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

That is probably a little-known fact. No one ever seems to mention that Yahushua prayed before the Holy Spirit descended upon him after he was baptized by John.

The disciples also saw him literally sneak away from the masses who surrounded and followed him every day so he could spend alone-time in prayer.

Luke 5:15 But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.    16  And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

 Finally, after seeing how important prayer was to Yahushua, our opening Scripture says that “one of his disciples,” after watching him pray and waiting for him to end his time in prayer, said “Master, teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples.”  After two years, the disciples probably selected one among them to follow Messiah to where he sought solitude to pray; and after respectfully waiting for him to conclude his time in prayer, to ask him on their behalf how to pray…like John did for his disciples.  That means the disciples of Yahushua who had previously been disciples of John had heard John’s teaching on prayer. That instruction, like so much teaching in contemporary Christianity, had become merely more acquired knowledge, useless by virtue of no application.

James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

In retrospect, it would seem this was a request born of curiosity more than of a desire to know more perfectly how actually to pray.  Do we ever see in the gospel accounts the disciples praying?  The only time seems to be in the garden of Gethsemene where they could not remain awake while their Master was in great travail in prayer. That they were not men experienced in prayer seems quite obvious by this.

From this we can understand that prayer was extremely important to the Master Yahushua Messiah, the one person whom human logic would suggest would not need to pray at all; but, ultimately, prayer was not considered important to the disciples…at least not during the 3½ year of the Master’s earthly ministry.  It became important after the resurrection when Yahushua instructed them to wait in Jerusalem until he sent them the Holy Spirit.  The disciples/apostles with 100+ other followers entered into an upper room for ten days.

Acts 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Yahushua, and with his brethren.

After the Holy Spirit came (Acts 2), when disputes arose regarding the administration of food to the disciples in need, the apostles explained the danger of this distraction to the commission of Messiah.

Acts 6:2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of Elohim, and serve tables. 3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

They had finally learned the importance and absolute necessity of prayer. We see multiple times in both the Gospels and in the epistles the command to pray.

Matthew 5:44 …pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Matthew 6:5 And when thou prayest…”

Matthew 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest…”

Matthew 6:7 But when ye pray…”

Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye…”

Matthew 9:38 Pray ye therefore the Master of the harvest…”

Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation…”

Mark 13:33 Take ye heed, watch and pray…”                         

Luke 10:2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Master of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

Luke 8:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Acts 6:4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer…”

Ephesians 6:18 always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…”

Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto Elohim.”

Colossians 4:2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving”

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

1 Thessalonians 5:25 Brethren, pray for us.

1 Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men

1 Timothy 2:8 I will therefore that men pray every where

Hebrews 13:18 Pray for us…

 James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another…

1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer

The apostles repeatedly had been commanded to pray; but they never seemed to obey that command. They were so inexperienced in prayer and so unaware of its value that just hours before their Master’s brutal death, they could only think of sleep.  After all, it was late at night, right? What did they finally understand about prayer?  What did they learn beyond academic instruction regarding the the importance and necessity of prayer?

The church, today, seems to be in the apostles’ pre-resurrection phase of experience regarding prayer.  We would rather sleep than pray. We would rather listen to teachers and preachers than pray. We would rather read the Scriptures than pray. Actually, we would pretty much rather do anything else, even sin, than spend time in prayer.  We need to get to the post-resurrection experience and obey this oft-repeated command.  To do that, we will need revelation to break the strangle-hold our academic knowledge and our unrenewed minds have on us.