May I begin with a rather bold, but true observation? If ever the world needed the church to understand the purpose and the power of prayer, and her role in that spiritual discipline, it’s now! The world cannot hold out much longer without God’s intervention through a praying church, nor should she have to. For far too long the world has pushed the church away, and for many years now, or so it seems, the church has been only too happy to go.
We in the church, pretty well understand that prayer is a means to get things we need. Our problem is, we don’t know very well how to do that properly. You see, God is only required, or obligated, to answer our prayers when we meet the proper conditions, and He sets the conditions. “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (James 4:3). In numbers of words, this is a small verse, but the implications are enormous, and it answers a lot of “Whys” for unanswered prayer.
Prayer is a lot of things, but the number one thing we often fail to understand is: Prayer is working together with God. It is a cooperation, a partnership! Prayer is working with God in His plan for His fallen world. As Jesus said, recorded in Matthew 11, “Take My yoke upon you” and went on to say, “For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”
This double yoke implies two things: first, work is involved; and second, a working together; a partnership with Jesus in His work. He says to get in the yoke with Him, partner with Him, work with Him. Then He reminds us that His yoke is easy because He is the power, or force, behind it all.
What is His work; what is His purpose for the world? Redemption! He is continually working toward redeeming a lost world. He needs believers to partner with Him in His purposes for redeeming His lost world. Prayer is the work that releases God’s power and purpose into the world.
Believers spend a lot of time talking about His yoke. We walk around it gazing at all sides trying to analyze what we think we see, but our problem is, we seldom get in the yoke and pull with God in His plan for the world.
Jesus actually told us the formula for praying in this way, you remember: “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” It must always be His will, and not my will! My believing friend, get into the yoke with Jesus, and Pray On!
