The Prayerless Ministry

A minister of the Lord is made by faith and prayer. Never by enthusiasm, which is what much of our ministry is in our age. We want to do more, and wait less. Though we will not admit it, it is all through us and a little bit through the Lord. After all, we want him to bless every endeavor we have that has the word ministry behind it. 

Giving away tracts, handing out bibles, preaching under the heat of the sun: all vain practices among the heathen who has no eyes to see, no ears to hear, and no heart to understand. I can do all I can ever do and still end up with nothing but empty hope; but faith, patience, and most specially prayer are never disappointed. I can preach with all my might and learn all I can learn, and give all I can give for the Lord, yet end up void of the Spirit and the holiness of God that ought to manifest mightily, had I prayed as much as I ought to pray. God only gets into the work through prayer. Much prayer. It is after the people prayed that the place in which they were assembled was shaken (Acts 4:31). The apostle Paul was described by God to Ananias in this way, you will find him praying. (Acts 9:11)

This man says he does not need the bible. I used to think the same way too. God is so merciful.

A praying ministry is the only kind that enables the servant to sympathize with his Master's beloved people. Indeed the deadness and apathy that so many churches and professing Christians of this day suffer can be traced back to an unused prayer closet. They are out there doing outreaches in droves. Holding programs by the number. Praying before all attendees, but rarely before God secretly. They sin by neglecting the very reason for what they do, rejecting the very source of power to accomplish the impossible and trust in the arm of the flesh instead. There is one great mark that separates the true servants of God from the superficial professors, they are men of prayer.

We cannot attain that same intimate communion our Lord Jesus Christ had with God the Father apart from much time spent in prayer. Brief public ministries, and preaching, are born in long hours within the secret place of prayer. For the believer, prayer is a struggle of continuance, because the mind is fleeting, and it is an exercise that takes much toll on the carnal flesh. It is disdainful to the body, but the soul that finds a familiar place before God will continually cry out and gasp for it. 

Let us not only pray. Let us pray frequently. Let us not only pray frequently, but pray earnestly. Oh how I wish to fall down as dead with a vision of the throne of God. The devil most oft gets victory over me, because I neglect the only power that is able to rebuke him. But blessed be the Lord my God for his grand design to break the back of my sin, and use it as further inlets of his grace and mercy. We have doctrines upon doctrines, and lectures upon lectures, debates left and right, a thousand preachings, and countless sermons. But where is the preacher with unction? Our minds are full of well-meaning quotes that appeal to the Christian mindset and intellect. We agree to it all. We repost it a hundred times over; but do we still have men of God who sear our conscience and push us to seek further the holiness of God? We strongly demand people to go and sin no more, but are we the kind of believers that tell ourselves to go and pray more? Have we coveted from the Lord a heart wholly given to prayer as we ought to?

Lord, help my unbelief. Teach me to pray.

What sore regret to realize on our last hour that we have done so much but have prayed so little. Indeed this is a most neglected truth in our day, the prayerless Christian, is a powerless Christian.