Did You think to Pray? by R T Kendall

I always love to read the introduction to a book before I purchase as it gives a real feel for what the book will be about.

R T Kendal's book Did you Think to Pray has within the introduction a wonderful tribute to his late father.  He was not a preacher or pastor but a rate clerk for a freight company.  Every morning he would see his father on his knees praying before he went to work.  It was not until years later - at the age of nineteen - when he became a pastor that he began to realise that he was not a typical teenager and that his father was different from most church members.  Other teenagers were not the slightest bit interested in spending much time in prayer and most people in the church did not spend time in prayer in the way that his father did.  When he became pastor of Westminster Chapel in London R T Kendall asked every member to spend 30 minutes a day in prayer (including the time reading the bible) but realised that this was regarded as "unfair" by many.  

R T Kendall's father had a prayer list.  He prayed through that list adding to it all the time, every day for years and years.  He eventually memorised it.  After retiring at 65 his prayer ife increased considerably.  Instead of 30 mintues a day it was extended to 1 hour sometimes 2.  A few years before he died at 93 R T Kendall asked his father "why did you pray so much?  As far back as I can remember you spent more time in prayer than most ministers.  Why?"  He replied that when a man came to be pastor at his church he asked every member to pray for 30 minutes a day, he did what he was asked and kept it up.  On his tombstone are the words "A Man of Prayer."

What a challenge!  The amount of time spent in prayer alone with God matters.

Why pray? 

Martin Luther said "we are instructing ourselves, not God."  

John Calvin said "We do not pray with the view of informing God but in order that we may arouse ourselves to seek him." 

John Wesley said "God does nothing but in answer to prayer."

Daniel had a similar experience to answered prayer as Zechariah and Elisabeth.  The elapsed time was 3 weeks rather than 20 years.  Daniel decided to fast and pray.  He said that he "mourned for 3 weeks.  I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips and I used no lotions at all until the 3 weeks were over." (Daniel 10 verse 3).  But an angel came to him and said in so many words "You were heard the very first day you prayed!"  Indeed "Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them" (Daniel 10 verse 12).  If I were Daniel I think I might have been tempted to say, cynically, "Thanks a lot.  Why have you made me wait for 3 weeks to know I had been heard?  Why could you not have told me the first day as soon as I prayed?"

We can only speculate as to why God answers prayer as he does, telling some people immediatley that they have been heard, telling some later on that they have been heard, telling others nothing until God suddenly steps in and acts.  

Why does God not always tell us whether we have been heard?

1.  he likes our company and not knowing exactly whether we have been heard keeps us coming back to him

2.  he lets us prove to ourselves how important our request is - so that we will keep asking if we really are serious about it

3  that we do not waver in faith and don't give up until it is absoutely clear that our request is not to be granted

4  we will learn to think for ourselves, not unlike Paul who said "work out your salvation with fear and termbling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose" (Philippians 2 verses 12 and 13)

5  he wants to dignify us by our sharing in what he does through his kingdom on earth - namely, by our spreading the Word.

Knowing the will of God:

P - is it providential? Does the door open without you knocking it down?

E - what do you suppose your enemy (the devil) would want? Do the opposite.

A - what is your authority (the BIble) for continuing? Is it biblical?

C - does your confidence increase or diminish at the thought of this?

E - do you have ease in your heart of hearts at the thought of this?

Romans 14 verse 19

You need 5 out of 5 of the above propositions for this acrostic to work for you!

"Pray as much as you can, as often as you can, as best as you can for as long as you can.  Learn all you can about prayer.  Then know that God enjoys your company and will take all he can get when it comes to your spending time with him."

It is OK to tell people we are praying for them ...

To the church at Rome Paul stated that he remembered them in his "prayers at all times" (Romans 1 verses 9 and 10)

To the Ephesians Paul said "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." (Ephesians 1 verse 17)

To the Philippians "In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy." (Philippians 1 verse 4)

To the Colossians "Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you." (Colossians 1 verse 9)

To the church of the Thessalonians "We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers." (1 Thessalonians1 verse 2)

To Timothy "Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.  Recalling your tears." (2 Timothy 1 verses 3 and 4)

To Philemon "I remember you in my prayers" (Philemon 4)

What does prayer do for others? 

(1) encourages them (if we tell them)

(2) sets God into action on their behalf.

"if you do nothing but read your Bible you will dry up, if you only pray you will blow up, but if you read your Bible and pray you will grow up."