The reality of prayerBounds, Edward M. (Edward McKendree)
Religion
The reality of prayer
Bounds, Edward M. (Edward McKendree)
Jesus Christ -- Prayers; Prayer -- Christianity
In the example and the teaching of Jesus Christ, prayer assumes its
normal relation to God’s person, God’s movements and God’s Son. Jesus
Christ was essentially the teacher of prayer by precept and example. We
have glimpses of His praying which, like indices, tell how full of
prayer the pages, chapters and volumes of His life were. The epitome
which covers not one segment only, but the whole circle of His life, and
character, is pre-eminently that of prayer! “In the days of his flesh,”
the Divine record reads, “when he had offered up prayers and
supplications, with strong crying and tears.” The suppliant of all
suppliants He was, the intercessor of all intercessors. In lowliest form
He approached God, and with strongest pleas He prayed and supplicated.
Jesus Christ teaches the importance of prayer by His urgency to His
disciples to pray. But He shows us more than that. He shows how far
prayer enters into the purposes of God. We must ever keep in mind that
the relation of Jesus Christ to God is the relation of asking and
giving, the Son ever asking, the Father ever giving. We must never
forget that God has put the conquering, inheriting and expanding forces
of Christ’s cause in prayer. “Ask of me, and I will give thee the
heathen for thy inheritance, and the uttermost part of the earth for thy
possession.”
This was the clause embodying the royal proclamation and the universal
condition when the Son was enthroned as the world’s Mediator, and when
He was sent on His mission of receiving grace and power. We very
naturally learn from this how Jesus would stress praying as the one sole
condition of His receiving His possession and inheritance.
Necessarily in this study on prayer, lines of thought will cross each
other, and the same Scripture passage or incident will be mentioned more
than once, simply because a passage may teach one or more truths. This
is the case when we speak of the vast comprehensiveness of prayer. How
all-inclusive Jesus Christ makes prayer! It has no limitations in extent
or things! The promises to prayer are Godlike in their magnificence,
wideness and universality. In their nature these promises have to do
with God—with Him in their inspiration, creation and results. Who but
God could say, “All things whatsoever ye ask in prayer, believing, ye
shall receive?” Who can command and direct “All things whatsoever” but
God? Neither man nor chance nor the law of results are so far lifted
above change, limitations or condition, nor have in them mighty forces
which can direct and result all things, as to promise the bestowment and
direction of all things.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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