Dedicated To The Men of God Who Preach the Word of God As It
Is To Men As They Are
"Preach The Word"
UNSEASONABLE PRAYER
"Wherefore driest thou unto me?" (Ex. 14:15).
There may come a time when this question needs to be asked even of a Moses. There is a period when crying should give place to action; when prayer is heard and the Red Sea is dividing, it would be shameful disobedience to remain trembling and praying.
I. SOMETIMES THE ANSWER WILL BE VERY UNSATISFACTORY.
1. Because I was brought up to do so. Some have perpetrated gross hypocrisy through repeating forms of prayer which they learned in childhood.
2. It is a part of my religion. These pray as a Dervish dances or a Fakir holds his arm aloft; but they know nothing of the spiritual reality of prayer. (Matt. 6:7).
3. I feel easier in my mind after it. Ought you to feel easier?
May not your formal prayers be a mockery of God, and so an increase of sin? (Ise. 1:12, 15; Ezek. 20:31).
IL SOMETIMES THE ANSWER WILL BETRAY IGNORANCE.
1. When it hinders immediate repentance. Instead of quitting sin and mourning over it, some men talk of praying. "To obey is better than sacrifice," and better than supplication.
2. When it keeps from faith in Jesus. The gospel is not "pray and be saved"; but "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." (Matt. 7:21; John 6:47).
3. When we suppose that it fits us for Jesus. We must come to Him as sinners, and not set up our prayers as a sort of
righteousness. (Luke 18:11, 12).
III. SOMETIMES THE ANSWER WILL BE QUITE CORRECT.
1. Because I must. I am in trouble, and must pray or perish. Sighs and cries are not made to order, they are the irresistible outbursts of the heart. (Ps. 42:1; Rom. 8:26).
2. Because I know I shall be heard, and therefore I feel a strong desire to deal with God in supplication. "Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him" (Ps. 116:2).
3. Because I delight in it; it brings rest to my mind, and hope to my heart. It is a sweet means of communion with my God.
"It is good for me to draw near to God" (Ps. 73:28).
Where must those be who depend upon their own prayers?
What are those who live without prayer?
What are those who can give no reason for praying, but
superstitiously repeat words without heart?
Illustration:
An anxious inquirer to whom I had plainly put the great gospel command, "Believe in the Lord Jesus," constantly baffled my attempts to lead her out of self to Christ. At last she cried out, "Pray for me! pray for me!"
She seemed greatly shocked when I replied, "I will do nothing of the kind. I have prayed for you before; but if you refuse to believe the word of the Lord, I do not see what I can pray for. The Lord bids you believe His Son, and if you will not do so, but persist in making God a liar, you will perish, and you richly deserve it." This brought her to her bearings.
She begged me again to tell her the way of salvation; she quietly received it as a little child, her frame quivered, her face brightened, and she cried, "Sir, I can believe, I do believe, and I am saved. Thank you for refusing to comfort me in my unbelief."
Then she said very softly, "Will you not pray for me now?" Assuredly I did, and we rejoiced together that we could offer the prayer of faith.
Illustration:
In a great thaw on one of the American rivers, there was a manon one of the cakes of ice, which was not yet actually separated from the unbroken mass. In his tenor, however, he did not see this, but knelt down and began to pray aloud for God to deliver him.
The spectators on the shore cried loudly to him: "Man, stop praying, and run for the shore." So I would say to some of you, "Rest not in praying, but believe in Jesus."—Quoted in the "Christian." 1874.
Illustration:
On one occasion, when Bunyan was endeavoring to pray, the tempter suggested "that neither the mercy of God, nor yet the blood of Christ, at all concerned him, nor could they help him by reason of his sin; therefore it was vain to pray." Yet he thought with himself, "I will pray."
"But," said the tempter, "your sin is unpardonable."
"Well," said he, "I will pray."
"It is to no avail ," said the adversary. And still he answered, "I will pray."
And so he began his prayer: "Lord, Satan tells me that neither thy mercy nor Christ's blood is sufficient to save my soul. Lord, shall I honor Thee most by believing Thou wilt and canst? or him, by believing Thou neither wilt nor tenet? Lord, I would fain honor Thee by believing that Thou canst and wilt."
And while he was thus speaking, "as if some one bad clapped him on the back" that Scripture
fastened on his mind, "Oh, man, great is thy faith."
Sermon by Charles Haddon Spurgeon
