It would appear from the stories our Lord gave in Scripture that a good way to teach prayer is by negative examples, that is, “how not to do it.” Jesus told of prideful Pharisees bragging on themselves in prayer, mean-spirited tyrants asking for forgiveness but unwilling to forgive others, and a powerless widow hounding a merciless judge until he caved in and gave her what she wanted.
All illustrate wrongs way to pray.
I’ve previously mentioned in this website Lehman Strauss’ book “Sense and Nonsense About Prayer.” Well, after owning the book for three decades–it was first published in 1974–and frequently citing its lessons, I decided the time had arrived to go back and re-read it. I did that Monday.
The twelve chapters that deal with our subject–Strauss has a section at the end on the Lord’s prayer and the prayer life of Jesus–are worthy of your consideration and study. At the end of these chapters, he invites the reader to agree or disagree with him at any point, but in love. I found myself disagreeing with facets of one or two principles in this list, but overall, the list is excellent and I commend it to you.
At the end, we’ll include three of his non-sensical stories on how not to pray.
1) It does not make sense to pray if there is unconfessed sin in the heart. Psalm 66:18
However, it makes sense to confess our sins if we expect God to hear us.
2) It does not make sense to pray with a selfish spirit. James 4:3
However, it makes sense to examine our motives before we ask anything from God.
3) It does not make sense to pray unless we pray in the Spirit. Ephesians 6:18
However, it makes sense to avail ourselves of the privilege of praying in the Spirit.
4) It does not make sense to pray if we do not pray in Jesus’ name. John 14:13-14
However, it makes sense to pray in Jesus’ name.
5) It does not make sense to pray without faith. Matthew 21:22; Romans 14:23; Hebrews 11:6
However, it makes sense to pray in faith.
6) It does not make sense to pray with an unforgiving spirit. Mark 11:25-26
However, it makes sense to forgive others before we pray.
7) It does not make sense to pray unless we pray in the will of God. I John 5:14
However, it makes sense to pray according to God’s will.
8) It does not make sense to pray when we are not thankful. Philippians 4:6
However, it makes sense to include thanksgiving in our prayers.
9) It does not make sense to pray if we are not abiding in Christ and His word is abiding in us. John 15:7
However, it makes sense to abide in Christ and have His word abide in us.
10) It does not make sense to pray if we are stingy and miserly. Proverbs 21:13
However, it makes sense to cultivate the grace of giving so that our prayers are not hindered.
11) It does not make sense to pray if our marriage relationship has broken down. I Peter 3:1,7
However, it makes sense for Christian husbands and wives to live by God’s plan so that their prayers “be not hindered.”
12) It does not make sense to pray if we ignore the spiritual exercise of fasting as an aid to prayer. Matthew 6:16-18.
However, it makes sense to fast and pray in keeping with the teaching of Christ.
Story No. 1
Lehmann Strauss was conducting a Bible study in a southern city. The host pastor called on a college professor to lead in prayer. The man stood before the microphone and here–word for word, recorded on tape–is what he prayed:
“God, you created the heaven and the earth. You created man, and you didn’t do it by some evolutionary process. (Strauss notes: “That bit of news must have been an eye-opener to God.”) And now, God, we thank you for sending the speaker. Bless the message of Dr. Strauss because we pray in his name. Amen.”
Strass teases: “Ah, brethren, that one touched my heart.”
Story No. 2
Strauss was doing a Bible conference in Pennsylvania when a plane crashed nearby killing all aboard. The conference director called on a man for prayer. Evidently, the fellow wanted to pray for the families of those who had been on the plane but could not remember the location of the crash. He prayed:
“Lord, bless that plane crash out there in–out there in–out there in–Well, Lord, You know where it is; you must have read it in the morning newspaper.”
Story No. 3
Strauss says the most inane statement he has ever heard about prayer is “Prayer can do anything God can do.” He writes, “Apart from our Lord Jesus Christ, there never has been a praying man, nor is there a praying man alive today who, through prayer, can do anything that God can do. There are things God has done, and can repeat, but He has not repeated them and possibly never will. Moreover, there are things God can do but which He will not do, notwithstanding our much praying. Still, there are Christians who have adopted as their favorite saying, ‘Prayer can do anything God can do.'”
While pastoring in Pennsylvania, Dr. Strauss was called to the bedside of a dying man 89 years old. His body was racked by cancer. The family had hoped he would live to see one hundred. A daughter asked Pastor Strauss to pray and ask God to raise up her father and give him an additional 11 years of life. He declined, adding that he had no leading from God to make such a request.
Bitter resentment showed in the scowl on her face as she said, “Well, pastor, prayer can do anything God can do.” Strauss says, “In her expressed opinion, I was not a man of prayer. Yet, neither she nor the other members of that family could produce through prayer the result she expected of me.”
Perhaps one request we should make of God in our prayers is that, while teaching us to pray, He would teach us to use good sense in our prayers.
Oh I wish that my prayers were always so sensible.
Or maybe I don’t, because I can’t quite imagine that my prayers would consistently be sensible and also real. Far too often, I have a far too selfish spirit, am lacking faith, have little thankfulness and am a million miles from abiding in Christ — and then I need to bring this mess that is me into the presence of God. It’s so much easier to put on a generous, faith-filled, abounding-in-gratitude mask. But that’s really dangerous. Not to mention, trying to pull the wool over the eyes of an omniscient being is not the brightest of moves. In fact, I’d suggest that could be the ultimate nonsense.
And yet there is value in sometimes just going through the motions because they’re good motions and over time they shape me into a more faithful believer.
There is a fine line between that and simply trying to appear far more sensible than I am. Hopefully someday I’ll figure it out.
I too ask “Lord teach me how to pray” and came to study the example prayer God gave us.
To me what stood out so strongly in the example prayer was the simplicity of it. No suggestions of how to meet the needs, no recommendations of how to carry out the requests and no wallowing in anxiety. It has really changed the way I see prayer.
I think Chris is right- prayer time is battle ground time. Instead of putting on as mask you have to battle it out with your human nature. I work to use prayer as a time to remember who God is, what He does and how I do not have to worry about a thing, He’s got it all under His power. I should spend more time in prayer training my mind how to think. To force out human thought and worry and to get perspective on the reality that God has Plans I cannot come near to imagining, plans that are perfect and He loves me and every other human being on this planet.
I knew Dr Strauss. He was a friend of my late Father. He was one of the most Godly, humble, sensible man I ever met.
After We moved to South Florida, we had him come to the Church, for a Bible Conference. He and the late
Dr. Andrew Telford were my models in the ministry.
Thank you for your comments. My memories of Drt. Strauss came flooding back.
Prayer is not like a comfortable touring sedan, cruising around and enjoying all the wonderful sights. Prayer is like a sturdy truck, going to the warehouse to pick up the goods; then returning home to get on with the work.(Joe McKeever, 19 Nov 1983)
This is one of 7 back-of-the-Bible McKeeverisms that that I treasure.
I’m always conflicted about teachings on prayer. Part of me always says, “What’s to teach?” You just haul off and talk to God. The other half thinks of things like Strauss’s list and sees value there. I’ve taught and preached on prayer. Yet, still, I often end my teaching with a more formal version of “just haul off and pray!”