Why Do We Pray? (Urbana 93)
by Dan Harrison
Recently I was speaking to an InterVarsity Friends banquet in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In my talk I shared some of my own testimony. When the evening was over a woman came up to talk to me. Ruth asked me if I was from upstate New York. I said, "Yes, why?" She said that she was pretty sure that she had been praying for me for 30 years. I was taken aback by her statement and inquired further.
Ruth became a Christian while a student at Cornell University. In fact she was led to the Lord by my mother. Both of her parents were intellectuals and were very opposed to Ruth's decision. Thinking that it might be helpful for them to experience a Christian family, Ruth brought them to visit our home.
This was at the height of my rebellious years. The day they visited the tensions between me and my parents was obvious. Ruth's objective was likely not fulfilled that day. However, she became burdened for me and began praying. She has prayed for me ever since. The first time I had seen her or knew about her prayers was almost 30 years after her visit to our home.
Today at Urbana you will have the opportunity to pray in your small group, in the general sessions and this evening in a "Prayer Concert." The "Prayer Concert is a worshipful, but fast-moving variety of opportunities which will join your heart with others in prayer.
Why do we pray?
One reason to pray is to do spiritual battle. Scripture says that as Christians, "our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh; but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." The only real way to do battle is through prayer. We need to learn how to pray to resist the enemy, to seek God's help and to avoid sin.
Another reason to pray is to listen to God: The story is told of a Wycliffe translator who was working with an Australian Aborigine to translate Scripture. The Aborigine, who was a believer, asked the missionary to teach him to pray. Together they looked at several New Testament passages and then the missionary suggested that they pray together. The missionary prayed a brief prayer and then there was silence. The missionary waited. Five hours of silence! At the end of the five hours the Aborigine said, "Amen." "What was happening?" asked the missionary. The Aborigine said, "Oh, I was listening to God." The missionary asked, "What was he saying?" The Aborigine said, "He was teaching me this ..." He proceeded to share the basic truths of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. The Aborigine had never previously seen, read or heard this account. God speaks to us in prayer as we listen.
Another reason to pray is to intercede on others' behalf. Let me illustrate. A missionary to a remote location in Africa was speaking in his home church in Michigan. The missionary did medical work. Every two weeks it was necessary for him to ride his bicycle on a two-day journey to a town to get medical supplies and cash. On one occasion he treated a young man he met along the way who was injured.
Later that day that young man approached him saying, "My friends and I have been watching you. We know that you pick up supplies and money and then make your two-day journey back to your village. On your last trip we intended to kill you and rob you. But we came upon your camp and there were 26 guards around you. So we did not come near. The missionary said, "Oh, but I was all alone." The man said, "I counted 26 guards around you and my four companions each counted 26 guards too." At that point in the story someone from the Michigan congregation stood up and said, "Excuse me for interrupting but I must ask you when this incident took place. The missionary thought and gave him the exact day and time. The man said, "Let me tell you what happened here."
He continued "I was on my way to play golf and I felt a conviction to pray for you. As I walked out the door I paused, prayed, and then got into my car. But I still felt an overwhelming burden to pray for you. I went back into the house, put my golf clubs away and called some of people from the church together to pray for you. I'd like those who gathered that day to stand right now." All around the sanctuary people rose to their feet. The missionary counted them, right there; in the midst of his Sunday morning sermon: There were 26 people.
An important part of my own life is prayer. Through confessing my sins to God in prayer he has brought healing. Lastly, an important aspect of our prayer life is praise. God made us to worship and praise him and he longs for us to do so. Scripture says that "He inhabits our praise:"
Cite this Scripture
So in some miraculous way he dwells among us in our praise to him. It brings glory and honor to God as we praise him in the presence of others.
Why do we pray? Because it's an essential component of a walk of faith.
Unless otherwise noted, all materials on the urbana.org web site are Copyright InterVarsity Christian Fellowship / USA. All rights reserved.
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