hough prayer is an activity in which all of God’s children should regularly be engaged, many seem to pray very little, in comparison to some that are not in the family of God. We believe in, teach, and sing about prayer, then neglect it. Many of us pray only when facing some great tragedy. It appears that we are rather limited in our appreciation of prayer. This is shameful. When we forget to pray, we fail both to invite God into our lives and to credit Him with what He has already done on our behalf. A chronic absence of prayer indicates that we believe God has little or no interest in our problems. And, failing to hold prayer in high esteem, we “have not, because [we] ask not” (James 4:2). Perhaps the following considerations will increase our regard for prayer, and lead to our praying more frequently.

egular prayer makes for a better spiritual life. As we pray more frequently and for longer periods of time, our prayers will become more meaningful, we will be more spiritually-minded, we will be better able to handle temptation, persecution and other problems, and we will be drawn closer to God. And the nearer we grow to God, the more effective our prayers will be.

ames says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (4:7). But the devil knows that we will not be able to resist him if we do not enlist God’s help through prayer. Therefore, he wants us to refrain from praying, and he trembles every time we pray.

t is the nature of God to answer prayer. The psalmist addresses God as “You who hear prayer” (Psalm 65:2). The writer of Hebrews states that God will reward those who “diligently seek him” (11:6); one way that we seek Him is through the avenue of prayer. God says if we will humble ourselves, turn from our wicked ways and pray, He will hear us (2 Chron. 7:14). Even though we are puny and insignificant the sight of the Almighty, we can pray to Him knowing that He will not only hear but will also listen.

t is in answer to prayer that God provides material blessings. Our heavenly Father knows how to “give good things to them that ask him” (Matt. 7:11). We cannot exhaust God’s resources (Eph. 3:20). Since He has promised to help we can approach His throne with boldness, and “find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). What a privilege--we can pray to God for wisdom (James 1:5), as well as for physical and spiritual healing (James 5:13-16).

he early Christians spent much time in prayer. Prayer, along with teaching, took priority over everything else in the activities of the apostles (Acts 6:1-4). “Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God,” even while in prison (Acts 16:25). Indeed, prayer characterized the lives of many of the early disciples (Acts 12:12). If Christians in the first century [when miracles seem to have abounded] leaned heavily on God in prayer, should we not do the same?

esus spent much time in prayer. He may have been too busy to eat or rest, but Jesus was never too busy to pray. He began His ministry with prayer (Luke 3:21), and He ended it with prayer (Luke 22:39-46). Sometimes He rose before daylight to pray (Mark 1:35), and on at least one occasion He spent all night in prayer (Luke 6:12). If the only sinless person who ever lived felt the need to pray—and prayed often—how much more do we need prayer, having sinned?

od commands prayer. He has instructed us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17), and to pray “for all men” (1 Tim. 2:1). We should therefore take advantage of every opportunity to pray (Luke 18:1). We can pray while driving our car, while walking, or while talking to others (Neh. 2:4). We also need to pray in our “closet” in order to think and meditate about God (Matt. 6:6). We should never worry, but “let [our] requests be made known unto God” (Phil. 4:6). &

THE FEAR OF THE LORD

By Randy Cavender

hroughout the Bible, God I teaches us that our disposition of mind or attitude is where everything begins. One will quickly see that this is particularly true in the hook of Proverbs. Notice the following passages:

  "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Prov. 1:7)

  "Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart." (Prov. 3:3)

  "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life." (Prov. 4:23)

ince these truths are apparent, I must acknowledge that practical component: There must be "the fear of the Lord" in my life. The only way I can have a good life is through the proper respect for God. Let as examine what the Bible says concerning this vital subject.

What is “the fear of the Lord”?

he question comes to mind, "What is the fear of the Lord?" In short, it is not a feeling of terror as Paul describes in Romans 8:15. It is not a cowardly spirit as John condemns in Revelation 21:8.

he fear of the Lord is an attitude of respect toward God, which includes the dread of displeasing Him. It is about reverence, respect, love and honor toward God. This is the attitude necessary to please God.

The Lack of Fear!

t is a sad thing to see the lack of fear in the lives of people today. Especially is this true with those who profess to be Christians. You See, if I want to know what is right, I must have the fear of the Lord. If I want to do what is right, I must respect God. Nevertheless, the lack of this respect is manifested in the lack of faithful service to God and obedience to Christ. Paul instructed the Philippians to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (2:12). Preachers and teachers of God's word need to present lessons designed to encourage, foster and nurture this fear of the Lord. However, when this is not done, the people of God move farther away from God and fail in their responsibilities as Christians.

The Results!

s we pointed out at the beginning, tile book of Proverbs admonishes us to fear the Lord. The same writer, points out the results, for Instance, if we have the fear of the Lord in our lives it will cause us to depart from evil (Prov. 3:7). In fact, a healthy respect for God will cause us to hate evil because of His hatred for sin (Prov. 8:13; 6:16). Furthermore, the fear of the Lord keeps our heart (Prov 23:17). When we all realize that all good or evil things come from our heart, then we will be diligent to keep our hearts right with God. The only way to do this is having the respect, honor and love for God as we ought.

Conclusion

hat is your attitude toward God? Your attitude will determine where you will spend eternity. Thus, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all" (Eccl. 12:13 NKJV). &

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever. (Psalm 111:10)