Praying Like Christ: With Earnestness and Fervency

I still remember my first real encounter with the doctrine of God's sovereignty. It was both fascinating and unsettling. So, during a conversation, I asked a dear brother how we should reconcile God's sovereignty with human responsibility. Smiling, he simply replied, "They are not quarrelling."

While his answer was amusing, it did little to settle the questions in my mind. I wrestled with the thought for some time and even found myself asking, If God has already ordained everything, why should I pray? Perhaps you have asked the same question. If so, do not forget that the Lord Jesus not only commands us to pray, but He also commends a life of persistent prayer.

Luke records, "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up" (Luke 18:1).

Sadly, many believers today have lost both the desire and the delight of prayer. Poor theology, shallow teaching, and a subtle spirit of self-sufficiency have robbed us of earnestness in the place of prayer. We no longer wait upon God as those who know they are utterly dependent on Him. Instead, we often subtly drift into a quiet fatalism, assuming that because God is sovereign, our prayers make little difference. In many ways, we resemble Eli. Although he acknowledged God's sovereignty by saying, "He is the LORD; let Him do what seems good to Him" (1 Samuel 3:18), he had already failed in his God-given responsibility to restrain his sons. His confession of God's sovereignty did not excuse his neglect of obedience. Likewise, we must never use God's sovereignty as a justification for neglecting the duty of prayer.

It is then instructive to note that God's sovereignty is not an excuse for prayerlessness but the foundation of confident prayer. We pray precisely because God is sovereign. He has not only ordained the ends but also the means, and one of those means is the prayers of His people. The result of our neglect of prayer is evident. We have lost the urgency, dependence, and holy fervency that ought to characterize our communion with God. Our prayers have become routine rather than heartfelt. The 17th-century Puritan, Thomas Watson, wisely observed, "That prayer is most likely to pierce heaven which first pierces one's own heart."

Above all, we must look to Christ. Though He was the eternal Son of God, He continually withdrew to pray. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed with such earnestness that "His sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground" (Luke 22:44). If the sinless Son of God devoted Himself to fervent prayer, how much more should we, who are weak and needy, persevere in prayer? It is therefore no surprise that the Apostle Paul exhorts believers to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Jesus calls us to repent of mechanical prayers that are devoid of affection, dependence, and faith. He invites us to seek the Father with our whole hearts, not merely to satisfy our consciences or fulfil a religious duty. As we behold Christ, our perfect example, may we learn to pray with greater earnestness and unwavering perseverance.

May our prayers not merely leave our lips but first warm our hearts, for those are the prayers that God delights to hear.