More Thoughts on Prayer

I have some thoughts about prayer rattling around in my mind that I am trying to organize and articulate. This being the National Day of Prayer in our country, there have been lots of words said about prayer on several of the radio programs I’ve listened to throughout the day. And I have no doubt that a few of the prayer gatherings around the country have been real times of prayer, if they are attended and led by people who really know the Lord.

I do believe that we who call on the Name of Christ as born again believers need to get more serious about prayer. But I’m very wary of a national call to do so by secular elected officials. Hear me out before getting angry. Our need to get serious about prayer is really an “in house” discussion. We who know Christ need to get serious about repenting of our sins and living holy lives and sharing the Gospel in truth with a lost world. This is just a given. Do I need the president of my secular government telling me to pray? No. I have that mandate from the very Word of God. As an “in house” discussion among Bible-believing church members, I do think that far too many of us neglect the privilege we have of going to God in heart felt, repentant, joyful, soul-searching prayer, recognizing the holiness of our Lord. I mentioned this yesterday. And it is very good to set aside time to pray for our government officials, our homes, our country, etc. This is biblical. See Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2:13-16. I’ve said before that I don’t get into politics on this blog, and that’s not where I’m going now. We are to pray for our elected officials whether we like their politics or not. I think that since we have the freedom to vote in this country, we should, as good citizens, vote our conscience, but if the one we voted for doesn’t win, it shouldn’t affect our outlook and plunge us into despair. We may live in this world, but we are citizens of the Kingdom of God. That is where our hope is to be focused for those issues that are really matters of the heart and spirit. Not government. I must live out my calling to be salt and light in this dark world, no matter what my government is doing. But this is a digression from where I meant to be going with this post.

Though I am glad enough for a day when people set aside time to pray, I think we need to be careful, as well. It is good for Christians to use this day to gather and pray, but we should be extremely wary who we will join hands with in doing so. In a religiously pluralistic society like ours, any proclamation by our government officials for a day of prayer must, necessarily, invite all faiths to the table. We hear so much talk these days about there being many ways to God, and how sincere people of “faith” will be heard when they pray. But is this true?

When we put different faiths on a stage together and engage in prayer, what are we doing? Who are we praying to? Though we may all say we are praying to God, what god do we mean? Do we mean a generic god bless America god of our own making, or do we mean the Lord of all Creation, the Triune God of the Bible? We need to be very careful who we, as followers of Christ, join hands with in prayer.

This is one reason I’m not all that exercised about the fact that my kids do not have corporate prayer in their school. I don’t want my kids learning that prayer is empty, vain words that can be repeated by pagan and believer alike. I also don’t want them praying a Buddhist, or Mormon, or New Age or something else prayer, which, if we’re going to have “prayer” in the secular public arena, we’re going to have all of that and more. That’s the “tolerant” and “politically correct” climate in which we live. I want them to know that prayer is talking to the only wise God, and that He hears the prayers of His people, those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ. Anything less is a mockery of prayer, and it is idolatry. And, believe me, as a student in public schools that allowed prayer before football games, I heard some prayers that were downright blasphemous. I’d rather there not be a prayer said out loud at all than one that is a mockery.

After a tragedy happens, you often hear people who never at any other time claim any relationship to Christ talk about praying for the victims. What do they mean by pray? To whom do they pray? Too many times people want God’s blessing without His sovereign Lordship. They want God without Jesus. They want good feelings, but no sacrifice.

Apart from saving faith in the only High Priest, Jesus Christ, prayer is just vain, empty words. We cannot approach Holy God on our own terms and expect Him to hear us and bless us. We must approach Him only by the narrow way of the Cross, washed in the blood of Christ. Only then can we pray with confidence.