Prayer - Supplication

Ephesians 6:18 “Pray all the time. Ask God for anything in line with the Holy Spirit’s wishes. Plead with him, reminding him of your needs, and keep praying earnestly for all Christians everywhere.” The Living Bible

We note three things that the writer says about prayer. (a) It must be constant. Our tendency is so often to pray only in the great crises of life; but it is from daily prayer that the Christian will find daily strength. (b) It must be intense. Limp prayer never got a man anywhere. Prayer demands the concentration of every faculty upon God. (c) It must be unselfish. The Jews had a saying, "Let a man unite himself with the community in his prayers." I think that often our prayers are too much for ourselves and too little for others. We must learn to pray as much for others and with others as for ourselves.

William McGill says that, “The value of persistent prayer is not that God will hear us, but that we will finally hear God."

Prayer is surrender--surrender to the will of God and cooperation with that will. If I throw out a boathook from the boat and catch hold of the shore and pull, do I pull the shore to me, or do I pull myself to the shore? Prayer is not pulling God to my will, but the aligning of my will to the will of God. 

Father, Thank you that we are reminded in Philippians 4:19 by Paul that you“will meet all our needs according to the riches of your glory in Christ Jesus.” It is easy to get overwhelmed when we look at all we need on a daily basis. Even when we doubt, you prove yourself faithful. Help us bring each one of our needs to you, and trust that you will provide. You know what we need even, more than we do. Thank you for that assurance. Amen.