Family Talk

As we understand the position of a Christian, a believer, he is in the family of God. Therefore, prayer is family talk. It is a friendly, intimate, frank, unrestricted talking with God, and it is into this close and intimate relationship that every individual is brought by faith in Jesus Christ. By faith in Christ we pass out of the realm of being Strangers to God and aliens to the family of God into the intimate family circle of the children of God. It is easy to talk within a family circle, but think what harm is done to that intimacy if people refuse to talk within the family circle. Again, prayer, basically, is a conversation with God.

Now supplication is making some specific request. Read More

The Place to Start

Now I am not suggesting that there is, no place Christian discipline. There is. I am not suggesting that won’t need to take our wills and put them to a task and follow through. There is this need. But first, we should do what is involved in “putting on the armor of God.” First, think through the implications of our faith, and then prayer will follow naturally and much more easily. It will be thoughtful prayer–prayer that has meaning and relevance.

That is the problem with much of our praying now, is it not? It is so shallow and superficial. What is needed Prayer should be an outgrowth of thoughtfulness about the implications of faith. It adds depth and significance to it. Prayer should be pointed and purposeful.

Now, basically, what is prayer? Is it a mere superstition as some people think, a mumbling, a talking to yourself under the deluded dream that you are addressing deity? Or is it a form of black magic by which some heavenly genie is expected to manipulate life to our desire–a kind of ecclesiastical Aladdin’s lamp that we rub? I am afraid, many have that concept of prayer. On the other hand, is it, as certain groups tell us, self-communion, a psychological form of talking to yourself in which you discover depths in your being that were there all the time, but you did not realize it until you prayed?

All of these ideas of prayer bold no similarity with what we read in the Scripture on the subject. Paul here recognizes two categories of prayer: that which he calls (1) all prayer, and (2) supplication. “All prayer” is the widest classification; “supplication” is, the specific request that is made in prayer. And if you take the whole range of Bible teaching on this great subject of prayer you will find that underlying all the biblical presentation of prayer is the idea that it is conversation with God. That is all it is; prayer is simply conversing with God.