Learning to Pray for Answers

Lesson #2

I told last week of my first encounter with Andrew Murray's book, With Christ in the School of Prayer. Not only did the first sentence grab me, but almost every sentence did. In fact, this is one book that I've read sentence by sentence most thoughtfully and prayerfully. I think I've read most of it 40 to 50 times now and it still speaks to me. Let me highlight a few more sentences-ideas - from the Preface. (I'm using the older version today which has the fuller Preface.)

"And of all the traits of a life LIKE CHRIST there is none higher and more glorious than conformity to him in the work that now engages Him without ceasing in the Father's presence- His all-prevailing intercession."

I concluded that if this characteristic was the highest type of Christ-likeness, then I didn't have very much of it at all.
"Thou hast made us kings and priests unto God. Both in the king and the priest the chief thing is power, influence, blessing."
I couldn't think of my sporadic PRAYERS having any power, influence or blessing. I really didn't see ANY connection between my feeble prayers and any results-answers.
"It is in intercession that the Church is to find and wield its highest power, that each member of the Church is to prove his descent from Israel, who as a prince had power with God and with men, and prevailed."
That did not come near describing me or my church.

One more for today:

"It is under the deep impression that the place and power of prayer in the Christian life is too little understood that this book has been written. (That gave hope because it described me.)
I feel sure that as long as we look upon prayer chiefly as the means of maintaining our own Christian life, we shall not know fully what is it meant to be.
(I really didn't have a clue what it was meant to be.) But when we learn to regard it as the highest part of the work entrusted to us, the ROOT AND STRENGTH of all other work, we will see there is nothing that we need to study and practice as the art of praying aright."

These sentences found me in my confusion about prayer. It pointed the way, a new way.
Prayer had been the end of my process of serving God IF I had time. ("And by the way, God, please bless what I have prepared to offer you.") Somehow it MUST NOW become the ROOT AND STRENGTH - THE FOUNDATION - of my whole relationship of love and service.
I at once felt convicted, overwhelmed by my ignorance and also hopeful that there was a way being pointed out to me. A way even I might follow. I was scared and eager to discover what GOD INTENDED PRAYER TO BE. I WOULD BEGIN by reversing the usual order and begin to make it the ROOT AND STRENGTH of my life.

"O, Lord, teach me how! And please be patient with me as I learn!"
(He has been answering this prayer for 37 years now.)

Br. Fred

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