25 Questions People Ask About Prayer

The answering of questions on prayer always produces interest. Certain areas relating to prayer in the personal life of Christians have been of concern to most people. Our members usually appreciate a frank discussion of these problems. We do not have all the answers, but a careful study of these problems in the light of the instruction of the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy writings usually reveals a solution.

By the staff of the Ministry.

The answering of questions on prayer always produces interest. Certain areas relating to prayer in the personal life of Christians have been of concern to most people. Our members usually appreciate a frank discussion of these problems. We do not have all the answers, but a careful study of these problems in the light of the instruction of the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy writings usually reveals a solution.

After the forty-minute presentation the lead­ers of the School of Prayer gather around a ta­ble with the director in the center. If a micro­phone is used, be sure that it is a portable type. This is placed in front of the person speaking so every person can hear distinctly what is being said.

Six to nine questions are answered in each session. The entire list of questions is typed, with enough carbon copies so each member on the panel can know beforehand what is being discussed. Each knows the specific questions he will be called upon to discuss. In this way he has opportunity for study and research and thus will be able to present concise answers in the time allotted to him—usually two or three minutes. The interest increases as other mem­bers of the panel contribute to the discussion. Occasionally, there is a question of such import that extra time is allowed, but this ought to be the exception rather than the rule.

Perhaps the following twenty-five questions with their partial answers may prove helpful to those who plan to conduct a School of Prayer. Our answers must be brief because of limited space. Much additional material can be discov­ered in the Index to the Writings of Ellen G. White, vol. 2, pages 2103-2129. Here are fifty-one columns listing thousands of quotations on the general topic of prayer.

1. In private devotions is it Biblical or more effectual to pray aloud than to pray silently? The answer must be Yes, but only when others are not within hearing distance. Testimonies, volume 2, page 190, states that secret prayer should not be loud, but in low and humble tones. Jesus prayed aloud in His private devo­tions (Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 102). It was at the close of His prayer that the disciples exclaimed, "Lord, teach us to pray," and He gave them what is known as the Lord's Prayer.

2.   Why do we not see more demonstrations of the gift of healing in the Seventh-day Advent­ist Church today? See Communion With God, Lesson 26; also Medical Ministry, pages 12-15.

3.   Why does united prayer exert a stronger influence upon a soul than when one prays alone? Two references will help us to under­stand the why of this question: "In unity there is strength; in division there is weakness. .

In unity there is a life, a power, that can be obtained in no other way."—Sons and Daugh­ters of God, p. 286. "Our Saviour follows His lessons of instruction with a promise that if two or three should be united in asking any­thing of God it should be given them. Christ here shows that there must be union with oth­ers, even in our desires for a given object. Great importance is attached to the united prayer, the union of purpose. God hears the prayers of individuals, but on this occasion Jesus was giv­ing special and important lessons that were to have a special bearing upon His newly organ­ized church on the earth. There must be an agreement in the things which they desire and for which they pray. It was not merely the thoughts and exercises of one mind, liable to deception; but the petition was to be the ear­nest desire of several minds centered on the same point."—Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 429.

4.   When the Lord admonishes us to "watch and pray" what is meant by the word "watch"? See Communion With God, Lessons 36 and 37.

5.   Should not Seventh-day Adventists fast and pray more than they do? Matthew 6:16-18. In­struction on the importance of fasting and how to fast is given in Counsels on Diet and Foods, pages 185-191. Many feel that to fast always means total abstinence from food as Jesus did in the wilderness of temptation. That this is not true is illustrated in the experience of Dan­iel when he said, "I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, . . . till three whole weeks were fulfilled" (Daniel 10:3). "The true fasting which should be rec­ommended to all, is abstinence from every stimulating kind of food, and the proper use of wholesome, simple food, which God has pro­vided in abundance. . . All the fasting in the world will not take the place of simple trust in the word of God. 'Ask,' He says, 'and ye shall receive.' . . . You are not called upon to fast forty days. The Lord bore that fast for you in the wilderness of temptation. There would be no virtue in such a fast; but there is virtue in the blood of Christ."—Counsels on Diet and Foods, pp. 188, 189.

6.     Is it safe to ask for a sign in answer to prayer? For example, when a change in posi­tion is contemplated, may one pray for a sign? How can one know what is God's will? Ellen G. White has much to say concerning chance pray­ing, impressions, and feeling. See Communion With God, Lesson 40. Prayer is no substitute for a "thus saith the Lord." Self must be subjugated and true principle exalted. See The Desire of Ages, p. 200 (last two paragraphs).

7.     What can we do to enable us to hear God's voice or to know God's will? Read Communion With God, Lesson 43.

8.     What is presumption? How may I guard against the sin of presumption when praying? "Presumption is Satan's counterfeit of faith."—The Desire of Ages, p. 126. See Communion With God, Lesson 30.

9.     How can one keep his mind from wander­ing while praying? Every person who prays is confronted with this problem. When this ques­tion is announced, the attention of the whole congregation will be aroused. Some useful sug­gestions are to be found in Communion With God, Lesson 29. One religious writer says that when the mind wanders to some person, object, or concern, include it in your prayer, for it must be important to you!

10.    Is it possible for our prayers to be self-centered? Self-centeredness is caring unduly for one's own interest and desires without regard for others. Selfish praying is illustrated in the Pharisee's prayer offered in the Temple (see Luke 18:10-14). "The evil that led to Peter's fall and that shut out the Pharisee from com­munion with God is proving the ruin of thou­sands today. There is nothing so offensive to God or so dangerous to the human soul as pride and self-sufficiency. Of all sins it is the most hopeless, the most incurable."—Christ's Ob­ject Lessons, p. 154. "Self is the enemy we most need to fear. . . . No other victory we can gain will be so precious as the victory gained over self."—The Ministry of Healing, p. 485.

11.  Could a soul be lost because no one per­severed in prayer for his salvation? "The Lord will hear our prayers for the conversion of souls."—Messages to Young People, p. 315. "And the redeemed will be sharers in His joy, as they behold, among the blessed, those who have been won to Christ through their prayers, their labors, and their loving sacrifice."—The Great Controversy, p. 647. However, it must be re­membered that the loss of a soul may not be wholly the result of lack of persevering prayer; the final decision is upon the will of the one being prayed for. God desires that all be saved but He does not force the will of anyone.

12.   Several years ago my children were told by a teacher that if they started a prayer, "Dear Jesus," instead of addressing the Father, it would go no higher than the roof. Shall small children be taught to pray to the Father or to Jesus? All their songs emphasize Jesus. "Jesus should be the honored Guest in the family circle. We should talk with Him, bring all our burdens to Him, and converse of His love, His grace, and His perfection of character. . . . The minds of the little ones may be taught to turn to Jesus as the flower turns its opening petals to the sun."—Child Guidance, p. 487. "Jesus would have the children and the youth come to Him with the same confidence with which they go to their parents. . . Jesus knows the needs of children, and He loves to listen to their prayers."—The Adventist Home, p. 299. Also see Communion With God, Lesson 44.

13.   Some people seem naturally good. They see,m faithful to the church and know its doc­trines, yet they do not feel the necessity of per­sonal prayer. Do you think that such are not Christians even though they do not seem to do wrong? Not to feel a spiritual need is to be in the lukewarm condition of the Laocliceans (Rev. 3:14-20). "It is not given to any human being to judge between the different servants of God. The Lord alone is the judge of man's work, and He will give to each his just reward." —The Acts of the Apostles, p. 276. "Prayer is a necessity; for it is the life of the soul. Family prayer, public prayer, have their place; but it is secret communion with God that sustains the soul life."—Education, p. 258.

14.  When God promises to give wisdom to those who ask, does it include wisdom in tem­poral as well as in spiritual things? The prayer for wisdom would naturally embrace temporal matters. God is interested in our total life. A fine list of that for which we should pray is given in Communion With God, Lesson 5.

15.  When there are so many pressing duties, how does one find time for meditation and prayer? It is significant that every person living has the same amount of time—exactly twenty-four hours a day. To learn how to master our schedule so we do not become victims of im­pulse or pressure but rather make room for life's vital concerns is our basic problem. When a person says he is too busy to find time to pray, he is saying in reality that he regards everything else in his day of more value than prayer. To begin with, it is well to pray by the clock. Set a definite time for your private devotions and let nothing interfere. See Communion With God, Lesson 3.

16.  Is the chief benefit of prayer the reac­tion upon the one who prays? The reaction upon one who prays is always manifested in Christlike attributes of character. However, if prayer is intended for nothing more than its re­flex influence, what did Jesus mean when He said, "All things, whatsoever ye ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive" (Matt. 21:22)? Or "Ask, and ye shall receive" (John 16:24)? The Lord wants us to pray for definite things that are in accord with His promises and to expect an answer.

17.  Since God hears every prayer, why is it necessary to repeat the same request over and over? "God does not say, Ask once, and you shall receive. He bids us ask. Unwearyingly per­sist in prayer. The persistent asking brings the petitioner into a more earnest attitude, and gives him an increased desire to receive the things for which he asks.... The more earnestly and steadfastly we ask, the closer will be our spiritual union with Christ."—Christ's Object Lessons, pp. 145, 146. "When our prayers seem not to be answered, we are to cling to the prom­ise; for the time of answering will surely come, and we shall receive the blessing we need most. But to claim that prayer will always be an­swered in the very way and for the particular thing that we desire, is presumption."—Steps to Christ, p. 96. Also read Counsels on Health, pp. 380, 381; Early Writings, p. 73.

18.  Is it possible for Satan to counterfeit God's work by assuming to answer prayer? Many earnest Christians do not realize this, but it is an important fact that the devil can answer prayer. Wherever there is the genuine, there is the counterfeit. See Communion With God, Lesson 50.

19.  Why does God against His own will some­times grant the desires of His people and give them what is not for their best good, such as when He permitted Israel to have a king? We are told in My Life Today, page 291, "Nothing can happen without His [God's] permission." There is a difference between God's will and His permission. It was not His will that Israel have a king, but He permitted it. By giving hu­man beings freedom of will, God chose to limit His own power. He gives us the freedom of making good or bad decisions, and He will not take away that freedom even though tragedy is the result. We must always remember the in­exorable law of life as stated by Paul, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Gal. 6:7). "Nothing can touch him [the Christian] except by the Lord's permission. All our suffer­ings and sorrows, all our temptations and trials, all our sadness and griefs, all our persecutions and privations, in short, all things work to­gether for our good. All experiences and cir­cumstances are God's workmen whereby good is brought to us."—The Ministry of Healing, p. 489.

20.  Why do things seem to go worse when I pray than when I don't? Read James 1:12 and I Peter 4:12, 13. "We must be transformed by the grace of God or we shall fail of heaven, and through our influence others will fail with us. Let me assure you that the struggles and conflicts which must be endured in the dis­charge of duty, the self-denials and sacrifices which must be made if we are faithful to Christ, are not created by Him. They are not imposed by arbitrary or unnecessary command; they do not come from the severity of the life which He requires us to lead in His service. Trials would exist in greater power and number were we to refuse obedience to Christ and become the servants of Satan and the slaves of sin."—Testimonies, vol. 4, pp. 557, 558. "In Christian experience, the Lord permits trials of various kinds to call men and women to a higher order of living and to a more sanctified service. With­out these trials there would be a continual fall­ing away from the likeness of Christ, and men would become imbued with a spirit of scientific, fanciful, human philosophy, which would lead them to unite with Satan's followers."—Selected Messages, book 2, p. 160. Read Communion With God, Lesson 28.

21.     How can I develop a strong faith in prayer? My husband died after he had been anointed and I had all faith that he would live. He was a good Christian with every desire to live for God. Since then, when something im­portant comes up I am always conscious of the fact that God might say No! We are finite; God is infinite. Since this is true, then we must trust God and have faith that His ways are best. "There are cases where God works de­cidedly by His divine power in the restoration of health. But not all the sick are healed. Many are laid away to sleep in Jesus. . . . We all de­sire immediate and direct answers to our prayers, and are tempted to become discour­aged when the answer is delayed or comes in an unlooked-for form. But God is too wise and good to answer our prayers always at just the time and in just the manner we desire. .. . Our desires and interests should be lost in His will. These experiences that test faith are for our benefit. By them it is made manifest whether our faith is true and sincere, resting on the word of God alone, or whether depending on circumstances, it is uncertain and changeable. Faith is strengthened by exercise. We must let patience have its perfect work, remembering that there are precious promises in the Scrip­tures for those who wait upon the Lord."—The Ministry of Healing, pp. 230, 231.

22.     What is the meaning of the word "Amen" with which we close our prayers? Webster says, "May it be so; used after a prayer, to express approval." But the word "Amen" has a more important meaning. It is one of the names of Christ (Rev. 3:14). It is as if we closed the prayer by saying, "for Christ's sake," or "in Christ's name."

23.     In many of our churches, the majority of the membership absent themselves from the prayer meeting. Is it God's plan that the mid­week service become obsolete? The answer is an emphatic No! When a large percentage of the church fails to attend the midweek service, either there is a low spiritual condition existing or the prayer meeting is very uninteresting. Read the suggestions made by Ellen G. White about the prayer meeting as found in Com­munion With God, Lesson 33.

24.     What can be done to make family wor­ship interesting to the children and youth? "Let the services be brief and full of life, adapted to the occasion, and varied from time to time. Let all join in the Bible reading and learn and often repeat God's law. It will add to the inter­est of the children if they are sometimes per­mitted to select the reading. Question them upon it, and let them ask questions. Mention anything that will serve to illustrate its mean­ing. When the service is not thus made too lengthy, let the little ones take part in prayer, and let them join in song, if it be but a single verse. To make such a service what it should be, thought should be given to preparation."—Education, p. 186. Also read Communion With God, Lesson 32.

25.     What is the real meaning of "pray with­out ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17)? "Unceasing prayer is the unbroken union of the soul with God, so that life from God flows into our life; and from our life, purity and holiness flow back to God."—Steps to Christ, p. 98. "The Christian cannot always be in the position of prayer, but his thoughts and desires can always be upward." —The SDA Bible Commentary, Ellen G. White Comments, on Prov. 4:23, p. 1157. We have been given explicit instruction when to pray: Before we rise in the morning—"The very first outbreathing of the soul in the morning should be for the presence of Jesus."—My Life To­day, p. 15. When we rise—"When you rise in the morning, kneel at your bedside."—Sons and Daughters of God, p. 199. Hourly—"It is only by personal union with Christ, by communion with Him daily, hourly, that we can bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit."—Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 48. In every difficulty—"In every diffi­culty we are to see a call to prayer."—The Desire of Ages, p. 667. When discouraged—"When you are desponding, close the lips firmly to men; do not shadow the path of others; but tell everything to Jesus."—The Ministry of Healing, p. 513. About our work—"When en­gaged in our daily labor, we may breathe out our heart's desire."—Gospel Workers, p. 258. When tempted—"When the first suggestion of wrong is heard, dart a prayer to heaven."—The SDA Bible Commentary, Ellen G. White Comments, on Prov. 1:10, p. 1155. How true is the statement, "The soul that loves God, loves to draw strength from Him by constant communion with Him."—Ibid., on James 4:7, p. 937.

Ministry reserves the right to approve, disapprove, and delete comments at our discretion and will not be able to respond to inquiries about these comments. Please ensure that your words are respectful, courteous, and relevant.

comments powered by Disqus

By the staff of the Ministry.

October 1964

Download PDF
Ministry Cover

More Articles In This Issue

The School of Prayer

An excellent new program.

The Need of a Spiritual Revival

The First Sermon Given at the Opening Session of the School of Prayer

How to Conduct a Disscusion Period

It is a scientific fact that the process of learning is greatly increased by a demo­cratic discussion of a problem of general concern. By frank and free discussion the subject under consideration can be per­sonalized in a practical manner when often the best prepared discourse may fail to reach the heart.

Cultivating the Quiet Time'

The larger aspects and dimensions of prayer.

How to Promote the School of Prayer

The School of Prayer may be an excellent idea with possibilities to begin a spiritual revival, but unless it is promoted wisely, many earnest seekers for truth may never realize its significance.

Conditions of Answered Prayer

Summary of Sermon Given During the School of Prayer

Objectives of the School of Prayer

There is a soul hunger and deep desire for a greater awareness of the presence of our Saviour with us. Yes, a new realization of the very necessity of prayer in personal, family, and church life.

Types and Moods of Prayer

Do we need a renewed and deeper comprehension of communion with God?

Prayer Preparation and Discipline

Does this promise of Jesus still hold good?

View All Issue Contents

Digital delivery

If you're a print subscriber, we'll complement your print copy of Ministry with an electronic version.

Sign up
Advertisement - RevivalandReformation 300x250

Recent issues

See All