The Intensity of Prayer Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. Matthew 15:25–28 The Jewish people of Jesus’ day were largely contemptuous of those who were from other nations. So when a foreign woman came to ask Jesus for help with her demon possessed daughter, the disciples tried to send her away. They did not want Jesus to waste His time with the foreigner. Yet her need and her faith compelled her to keep asking until she received the answer she needed. This was no casual, passing prayer. It was the intense cry of a burdened heart. The reality is that much of the time our prayers need more intensity. Martin Luther often talked to friends about spiritual matters at meal times. Once he observed his dog watching those who were eating in hopes of being rewarded with a morsel of food. Luther exclaimed, “Oh, if I could only pray the way this dog watches the meat! All his thoughts are concentrated on the piece of meat. Otherwise he has no thought, wish, or hope.” Our prayers should be serious and intense, what James called “fervent prayer” (James 5:16). The casual prayer is not a prayer to which we should expect an answer. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed with such intensity that His sweat fell like large drops of blood. Jacob wrestled with an angel before his meeting with Esau and walked with a limp for the rest of his life. This is the kind of praying we need more of today. Today’s Renewal Principle:If we find our prayers not being answered, it may be because they are not offered with fervent hearts. By Paul Chappell
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 01:30:52 +0000
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