A HABIT OF PRAYER

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:6 ESV)

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. (Mark 1:35 ESV)

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.” (Luke 11:1-4 ESV)

            These past few years have included several amazing visits to the Holy Land, experiences hardly occurring to those visiting the country of Israel. An expression used in the Bible to communicate the width and breadth of the land is “from Dan to Beersheba.” I have seen the ancient ruins of both cities, yet have gone far beyond Dan to the foothills of Mount Hermon, a few miles from the Syrian border, and far beyond Beersheba to the shores of the Red Sea, minutes away from Egypt.

            My travels have included many ancient sites not visited by most tourists, such as the ruins of Bethel, Shiloh and Samaria and numerous others. Standing on Mount Gerizim and viewing Mount Ebal, the site where the tribes of Israel affirmed their commitment to God after the conquest, fulfilled a deeply held desire. Just west, at the bottom of Mount Gerizim, lies Jacob’s well. The valley lying between the two peaks is the ancient site of Shechem

            Visiting the cities of Hebron, King David’s first capital and Abraham’s final resting place, and Bethany, where Lazarus was called back to life, as well as the seaport community of Eilat, located near the ancient site of Ezion-geber where the exotic treasures of Solomon entered the country, were spiritually moving.

            Taking early morning runs along the Sea of Galilee, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Red Sea, as well as along the ancient path to Emmaus, where the resurrected Lord met two disciples traveling home from Jerusalem, was refreshing. Hiking the cliffs of Mount Arbel, overlooking the Sea of Galilee, and the cliffs of En Gedi, where David fled from Saul, overlooking the Dead Sea, was invigorating. Swimming in the Sea of Galilee, wading in the Red Sea, splashing in the Mediterranean Sea and floating in the Dead Sea was fun.

            Doing prayer walks throughout Jerusalem and at the Temple Mound, including on top of the wall surrounding the Old City, was stirring. Traversing the tunnel built by Hezekiah, bringing fresh water into Jerusalem to the pool of Siloam, while singing songs of praise was stimulating. Journeying down into the Kidron Valley from the Eastern Gate and walking the steep upward road to the upper ridge of the Mount of Olives, praying for the peace of Jerusalem, was encouraging.

            Celebrating Christmas on Bethlehem square, Good Friday near Calvary, and Easter at the Garden Tomb was inspiring. The sermons by a clergyman from England during the Good Friday noon communion commemoration and the Easter morning resurrection celebration were profound and life-changing.

            I have visited with a variety of wonderful people throughout the country. Initially, my contacts were mostly with Israelis but eventually met and visited with an equal number of Palestinians. They too have proven to be very gracious and hospitable. My most recent trip included going to a family’s winter home in Jericho for a delicious feast and memorable night with special friends.

            At Mount Gerizim I met a genuine Samaritan living in the last known Samaritan village, located near the top of the hill. Only a few hundred of them exist worldwide, mostly in this town.

            Yet not until my latest trip did I finally meet and visit with a Jew living for Christ. People in America call them Messianic Jews but they do not go by that title in Israel. They refer to themselves as Jews who believe in Jesus because the other name offends the Orthodox Jew. I asked how many are living in the nation and was told only around 23,000, an infinitesimal amount of the population. Most of them live in a community west of Jerusalem. I asked in what ways are they reaching other Jews for Christ and was told they do not believe in proselytizing. In other words, no evangelism is being done by them.

            If you meet a Christian in Israel, most likely they are Palestinian. Approximately thirty percent of the Palestinians living in the town of Nazareth are believers in Christ. Approximately twenty-five percent living in Bethlehem are Christians. (I was privileged to speak at a gathering of believers in the city just over a year ago.) And approximately thirty percent of them living in Jerusalem believe in Jesus. One town in the West Bank is known as a Christian community. Yet, unlike what is occurring among Jewish people, many Palestinian believers are fearlessly, actively and aggressively telling the story of Jesus to their family, friends and neighbors.

            I have benefited from many valuable lessons while talking and listening to the people living in the Holy Land. In my conversation with the Jewish follower of Jesus an interesting piece of information was mentioned. People did not gather to pray at the synagogue during the time of Christ. In fact, prayer never occurred in the local synagogue. Corporate prayer only took place at the Temple in Jerusalem, mostly during Jewish festivals. The rest of the time everyone prayed privately, done in solitude (“lonely places” and “closets”). After the destruction of the Temple, synagogues in the region were constructed facing Jerusalem and prayer began occurring in the facilities.

            Churches promote prayer meetings and rightfully should. Attending a prayer service at Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York revolutionized my approach to overseeing prayer gatherings. Their services are designed and dedicated to occur on an uncommon day and for lengthy times, disrupting schedules and inconveniencing participates. Yet sincere dedication to pursuing and conversing with God reaps marvelous results, heavenly outcomes that are filled with wonder. Just ask Jim Cymbala.

            The nightly prayer meetings held throughout the first full week of each new year at the two churches I led in Chicago, Northwest AG and the Stone Church, were crowded and filled with the sound of earnest pray-ers crying out to God. The gatherings were often loud and occasionally messy, but no messier then the lives being transformed at the altars.

            My wife and I recently attended a prayer gathering that meets a few times during the year for the expressed purpose of praying over the hot spots of the world. We plan to make these gatherings an ongoing part of our calendar, a high priority.

            Yet various prayer gatherings should never take the place of personally praying and privately conversing with the Lord in an individual prayer setting.

            About a year ago I added an end-of-day prayer walk to my schedule. Just before dinner I journey through various parts of the neighborhood praying for others. With Sunday evening services no longer promoted and losing availability, a prolonged prayer walk occurs during the conclusion of my Rest Day, giving additional focus to praising God, praying in the Spirit and addressing various needs.

            This Fall Brenda and I stayed with friends whose home is beautifully nestled in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Each morning included a personal prayer walk. I felt liberated to loudly sing to the Lord among the pine trees, serenading whitetail deer and wild turkeys (And possibly a few mountain lions and other critters). I came back from these walks divinely strengthened and spiritually refreshed.

            Are you praying without ceasing? Are you in constant communication with the Lord? Life consists of habits, both good and bad. Until prayer is a well-established routine and a part of your lifestyle, its genuine fruitfulness will most likely not be noticeable.

            The great people of prayer in the Bible were people with a fixed prayer habit.  David had the practice of “evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.” (Psalms 55:17) Daniel was “three times a day… on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God.” (Daniel 6:10) Unless you develop a prayer habit, you tend to become delinquent in praying.

            The following are a few suggestions to help you build consistency in praying:

            Allow Scripture to shape your prayer life, such as “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 ESV) And, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16 ESV)

            Consider developing definite prayer objectives, regularly highlighting different aspects of spiritual formation. For example: Sunday – spiritual cleansing; Monday – giving thanks; Tuesday – general request; Wednesday – spiritual empowerment; Thursday – scripture prayers; Friday – special needs; Saturday – spiritual fruit. Unusual seasons will occur as the Holy Spirit burdens you along certain avenues for extended periods. Move with the Spirit and set aside any previously charted course.

            Develop the habit of waiting on the Lord. (Isaiah 40:31) Waiting is long on listening and short on speaking, implying a readiness to obey. Waiting also involves drawing nearer to God through meditation and contemplation, musing over the Lord and His word.

            Finally, pray in the Spirit. (Jude 1:20, 1 Corinthians 14:14-15) The blessing of this grace-gift assures prayers dealing with the events shaping your life are perfectly expressed.

Get busy praying

            Prayer is not answered because a follower of Jesus knows everything there is about prayer. Prayer is satisfied and petitions are accomplished because they know the One to whom it is addressed. Prayer is a love matter. The highest form of prayer is love coming from two hearts, blended together and beating as one.

            God hears the panicked cry for help, and delivers from disaster and calamity. Yet to set someone free from tribulation only for them to settle back into an apathetic routine is not His purpose for answering prayer. Establish a habit of praying, especially as you start the year 2016.