'The REPEATED intercessions of Abraham for the salvation of Sodom and Gomorrah present an early example of the necessity for, and benefit deriving from importunate praying. Jacob, wrestling ALL NIGHT with the angel, gives significant emphasis to the power of a dogged perseverance in praying, and shows how, in things spiritual, importunity succeeds, just as effectively as it does in matters relating to time and sense.
As we have noted, elsewhere, Moses prayed FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS, seeking to stay the wrath of God against Israel, and his example and success are a stimulus to present day faith in its darkest hour. Eljah repeated and urged his prayer SEVEN TIMES ere the raincloud appeared above the horizon, heralding the success of his prayer and the victory of his faith. On one occasion Daniel though faint and weak, pressed his case THREE WEEKS, ere the answer and the blessing came.
Many nights during His earthly life did the blessed Saviour spend in prayer. In Gethsemane He presented the same petition, THREE TIMES, with unabated, urgent, yet submissive importunity, which involved every element of His soul, and issued in tears and bloody sweat. His life crises were distinctly marked, his life victories all won, in hours of importunate prayer. And the servant is not greater than his Lord.'
Quoted from- 'THE NECESSITY OF PRAYER By E.M. BOUNDS' (Excerpt 28)
*******
Praying- all night, praying for 40 days and 40 nights, praying 7 times, praying for 3 weeks, praying 3 times.
These examples are for our LEARNING. So why do we imagine we can say a single simple prayer and that is that? Why do we lament our God doesn't hear us, doesn't answer our prayers when we scarcely pray one importune prayer? What makes us believe that those closest to God the Father should have to spend agonizing long moments, some times days, some times weeks, some times months in fervent prayer and we should not have to do the same? Why do we spend so LITTLE time in prayer? Why to even imagine a full day of praying is something beyond our comprehension? Maybe we can commit to an hour, but truly more than that we falter, don't we? DON'T WE?! Perhaps a prayer prayed in less than a full minute is all we can muster, is this what we call fervent effectual praying? If your life were on the line and you had to beg for it, how long would you beg? Seriously? If another that you loved had their life on the line would you beg for it long, or only for a moment? I'm not saying our lives are dependent upon the length of our prayers because we can recall Jesus saying the following--
'Mar 12:38 And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,
Mar 12:39 And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts:
Mar 12:40 Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation. '
'For a PRETENSE make long prayers' No, praying long is NO good if done for pretense.
Remember this--
'Luk 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
Luk 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
Luk 18:12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Luk 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
Luk 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.'
The man praying simply 'God be merciful to me a sinner' was justified, not the Pharisee praying long and with a false heart.
We know that the men of God who prayed long- for hours, days, weeks, and months prayed with sincerity and without any pretense, these men had NO GUILE in them!
Rev 14:3 ...the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
Rev 14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
Rev 14:5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
Those who are God's will have NO GUILE in them, there will be no pretense in their prayers and they will pray as they must pray- truthfully, fervently, effectually, all through the Holy Spirit.
Please, LORD, we would be YOURS in our praying, teach us to truly pray as we ought to pray. We would be YOURS!
By YOUR LOVE, YOUR GRACE, YOUR MERCY, YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS!
As we have noted, elsewhere, Moses prayed FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS, seeking to stay the wrath of God against Israel, and his example and success are a stimulus to present day faith in its darkest hour. Eljah repeated and urged his prayer SEVEN TIMES ere the raincloud appeared above the horizon, heralding the success of his prayer and the victory of his faith. On one occasion Daniel though faint and weak, pressed his case THREE WEEKS, ere the answer and the blessing came.
Many nights during His earthly life did the blessed Saviour spend in prayer. In Gethsemane He presented the same petition, THREE TIMES, with unabated, urgent, yet submissive importunity, which involved every element of His soul, and issued in tears and bloody sweat. His life crises were distinctly marked, his life victories all won, in hours of importunate prayer. And the servant is not greater than his Lord.'
Quoted from- 'THE NECESSITY OF PRAYER By E.M. BOUNDS' (Excerpt 28)
*******
Praying- all night, praying for 40 days and 40 nights, praying 7 times, praying for 3 weeks, praying 3 times.
These examples are for our LEARNING. So why do we imagine we can say a single simple prayer and that is that? Why do we lament our God doesn't hear us, doesn't answer our prayers when we scarcely pray one importune prayer? What makes us believe that those closest to God the Father should have to spend agonizing long moments, some times days, some times weeks, some times months in fervent prayer and we should not have to do the same? Why do we spend so LITTLE time in prayer? Why to even imagine a full day of praying is something beyond our comprehension? Maybe we can commit to an hour, but truly more than that we falter, don't we? DON'T WE?! Perhaps a prayer prayed in less than a full minute is all we can muster, is this what we call fervent effectual praying? If your life were on the line and you had to beg for it, how long would you beg? Seriously? If another that you loved had their life on the line would you beg for it long, or only for a moment? I'm not saying our lives are dependent upon the length of our prayers because we can recall Jesus saying the following--
'Mar 12:38 And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,
Mar 12:39 And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts:
Mar 12:40 Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation. '
'For a PRETENSE make long prayers' No, praying long is NO good if done for pretense.
Remember this--
'Luk 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
Luk 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
Luk 18:12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Luk 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
Luk 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.'
The man praying simply 'God be merciful to me a sinner' was justified, not the Pharisee praying long and with a false heart.
We know that the men of God who prayed long- for hours, days, weeks, and months prayed with sincerity and without any pretense, these men had NO GUILE in them!
Rev 14:3 ...the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
Rev 14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
Rev 14:5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
Those who are God's will have NO GUILE in them, there will be no pretense in their prayers and they will pray as they must pray- truthfully, fervently, effectually, all through the Holy Spirit.
Please, LORD, we would be YOURS in our praying, teach us to truly pray as we ought to pray. We would be YOURS!
By YOUR LOVE, YOUR GRACE, YOUR MERCY, YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS!
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