James 5:17 “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
Andrew Murray wrote: “Jesus never taught his disciples how to preach, only how to pray. To know how to speak to God is more than knowing how to speak to man. Power with God is the first thing, not power with men. Jesus loves to teach us how to pray.”
Robert Murray McCheyne grasped the above. He was a young Scotsman who died in his prime, aged 29, but not before shaking his beloved homeland. Many people wanted to know the secret behind his spiritual power. One such enquirer embarked on a pilgrimage to McCheyne’s church, and asked the sexton: “Would you mind telling me what was the secret behind Robert Murray McCheyne’s work?” So the sexton led him into McCheyne’s former study and invited him to be seated in the great man’s chair. The sexton then said plainly: “Now drop your head on that book and weep, for that’s what Robert Murray McCheyne always did before he preached.”
How is your prayer life going? Most of us find it discouraging to analyse our prayer lives. Don’t be. It’s self-defeating. Just resolve today to involve God in everything you do – the mundane, the important, work and play, in your problems and in your planning. Pray for yourself, for those you love, for those you come across. Worship him, seek his forgiveness, thank him for all his gifts, ask him for what you need.
C.H. Spurgeon once said: “Prayer pulls the rope down below and the great bell rings above in the ears of God. Some scarcely stir the bell, for they pray so languidly; others give only an occasional jerk at the rope. But he who communicates with heaven is the man who grasps the rope boldly and pulls continuously with all his might.”
Lord, it’s time for me to grasp the rope boldly! Teach me to pray. Amen!
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