In His farewell address to His followers on the eve of His death, Jesus impressed upon them the importance of praying and believing that their prayers would be answered. "Whatever you ask the Father in My name," He said, "I will do—that the Son may bring glory to the Father. And if you ask Me anything in My name, I will grant it" (John 14:13, 14, Phillips).* To leave no room for misunderstanding or misinterpreting His meaning, six times in almost the same words He urged them to pray, and each time He assured them that their prayers would be answered.
Does this promise of Jesus still hold good? The answer is given in this message to the remnant church: "The same compassionate Saviour lives to-day, and He is as willing to listen to the prayer of faith as when He walked visibly among men. . . . It is a part of God's plan to grant us, in answer to the prayer of faith, that which He would not bestow did we not thus ask." —The Great Controversy, p. 525.
God's promise to answer the prayer of faith does not mean that He will always answer in the way we expect, and give us exactly what we ask. But we can be certain that He will always answer in the way that is best, and give what will more than fulfill our "highest expectations."
God's promise to answer the prayer of faith holds good for little children as well as for those older in years. An eight-yearold girl had often been beaten by her Mohammedan grandfather for praying to Jesus. One day while walking on the city wall, he saw a company of bandits coming. In great fear he rushed home and said to the little girl, "You say that your God hears prayer." Pushing her into a room, he continued, "Go in there and pray that the soldiers won't come to our house." "Dear Jesus, she began, "thank You for making grandfather want me to pray that the soldiers won't come to our house. Now is the time, dear Lord, for You to show him that You do answer prayer. Thank You for keeping those soldiers away." The Lord answered her prayer of faith. The soldiers came, but the leader could not make his horse enter the gate of that house.
A Place to Be Alone With God
God wants us to pray in family worship and in prayer meeting and in other public meetings. Such praying is important. But "above all we must not neglect secret prayer."—Steps to Christ, p. 98. No instruction which Jesus gave in the Sermon on the Mount is more important than this —everyone must have a place where he can be alone with God.
"When you pray, go into a room by yourself, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is there in the secret place; and your Father who sees what is secret will reward you" (Matt. 6:6, N.E.B.). f
This, of course, does not exclude our lifting our hearts in prayer as we go about our daily work, or wherever we are. But Jesus would have us follow His example by getting away from the sound of human voices to some place where we can be alone with God. His place of secret prayer was sometimes in the desert and sometimes on the mountain. God longs to speak to our hearts by His Holy Spirit. As we wait before Him in some secluded place, the silence makes His voice more distinct. That is why He bids us, "Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10).
"Know That I Am God"
We are invited to come to the "mercy seat" that we may "receive wisdom . . to know God" (Testimonies to Ministers, p. 210). In no other place can this wisdom be found. "To know God" does not mean merely to have an educated mind but the knowledge that He abides in our hearts, "which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15:57). "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3). A knowledge of the Father and Son are coupled together, for "it is only by knowing Christ that we can know God. ... To know Christ savingly is to be vitalized by spiritual knowledge, to practice His words. Without this, all else is valueless" (The SDA Bible Commentary, Ellen G. White Comments, on John 17:3, pp. 1145, 1146).
God sometimes permits trial to come to us that we may recognize our need of knowing Him. Many of our afflictions have been visited upon us "in the wisdom of God," to bring us "closer to the throne of grace" (Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 143). Clarence Hawkes, the blind naturalist and poet, said, "God took away my eyes that my soul might see."
Unfortunately, among God's people are those who think that the main purpose of prayer is to receive the blessings they need. While God "is well pleased when they make the very highest demands upon Him" (The Desire of Ages, p. 668), yet He wants them to "desire not merely His blessing, but Himself" (Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 131).
Communing With God
The craving in our hearts to know God as Enoch knew Him has been placed there by the Holy Spirit. This craving is satisfied when we consecrate ourselves wholly to God and follow the example of Jesus by daily communing with Him. Early morning often found Him in some secret place where He had gone to meditate, to search the Scriptures, and to pray.
Meditation Influences Prayer
"The very first step in approaching God is to know and believe the love that He has to us."—Ibid., pp. 104, 105. What a thought for meditation on God's love is found in these words! "God loves those who are redeemed through Christ, even as He loves His son. . . . Can God love the sinner as He loves His own Son?—Yes; Christ has said it, and He means just what He says. He will honor all our drafts if we will grasp His promise by living faith, and put our trust in Him."—Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 300.
If we will meditate upon Christ's life, upon His "infinite mercy and love," in the light of what they mean to us personally, "our faith and love will grow stronger, and our prayers will be more . . . acceptable to God" (Steps to Christ, p. 89).
Search the Scriptures
"We should come with reverence to the study of the Bible, feeling that we are in the presence of God."—Testimonies to Ministers, p. 107. "The Bible is God's voice speaking to us, just as surely as though we could hear it with our ears."—Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 393. God's will for us personally is revealed in its promises, its commands, and its warnings. His will is also revealed in the Spirit of Prophecy writings, for we know that they are filled with "precious rays of light shining from the throne" (ibid., vol. 5, p. 67).
As we earnestly study and listen to God's voice speaking to our hearts, we shall know how to pray according to His will and "answers will come."
Secret Prayer
What greater privilege could be ours than to have a never-failing Friend in whom we can confide the most hidden desires and longings of our hearts! Those experiences that cannot be shared with our closest earthly friends, He understands, and He assures us of grace to help in good time for every need. "Never does our merciful God turn from the soul that in sincerity seeks Him for help."—The Ministry of Healing, p. 225.
Secret prayer cannot be ineffectual or powerless, for Jesus said, "Thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward you openly." "Men may never know of the work going on secretly between the soul and God, but the result of the Spirit's work upon the heart will be manifest to all."—Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 88. How is the result of the Spirit's work manifested to all: In our conversation, our conduct, our dress, and in all our affairs, it is revealed that Jesus is ruling our lives. (See Sons and Daughters of God, p. 248.)
The knowledge that Jesus is now before the throne of God to receive our prayers and present them to the Father and that the Holy Spirit is constantly interceding in our behalf should make us determined to let nothing, however important, keep us from spending time daily in communion with God.
Unanswered Prayer
If our prayers are not answered, the fault is with us, and not with God. He promises to answer if we comply with the conditions upon which the promises are based. The prophet Isaiah makes very plain the reason why the prayers of some are not answered. He says, "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear" (Isa. 59: 1, 2).
How earnestly we should search our hearts before God as David did. Sin is subtle. It is often hidden in some habit, or feeling, or motive. God would have us know that even one cherished sin or one wrong habit mars the character and separates the soul from God. He would have us know, too, that while He will not excuse sin in us, He will forgive if we sincerely ask Him. "He waits with unwearied love to hear the confessions of the wayward and to accept their penitence."—Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 84.
We should not delay coming to Him in the secret place of prayer. "The One . . . who hears all penitential prayers and confessions . . . is soon to cease His work in the heavenly sanctuary. Grace and mercy will then descend from the throne."—The SDA Bible Commentary, Ellen G. White Comments, on Rev. 22:10-12, p.989.
We should rejoice not only that He has made provision through the blood of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, but "He has made provision that the Holy Spirit shall be imparted to every repentant soul, to keep him from sinning" (The Desire of Ages, p. 311).
Confession, repentance, turning away from sin—this is the essential preparation for receiving answers to our prayers.
Our First Duty
"An intensity such as never before was seen is taking possession of the world. . . . In the midst of this maddening rush, God is speaking. He bids us come apart and commune with Him. . . . Many, even in their seasons of devotion, fail of receiving the blessing of real communion with God. They are in too great haste. With hurried steps they press through the circle of Christ's loving presence, pausing perhaps a moment within the sacred precincts, but not waiting for counsel. They have no time to remain with the divine Teacher."—Education, p. 260.
A great controversy is going on between Christ and Satan over our souls—a battle as real as any battle between the nations of earth. Satan does not object to our taking part in public or family prayer, but he trembles when he sees us in secret prayer. He hears our earnest prayers, and doubles his efforts to keep us too busy to pray. He "well knows that all whom he can lead to neglect prayer and the searching of the Scriptures will be overcome by his attacks" (The Great Controversy, p. 519).
The Lord's admonition to us personally is: "If you expect salvation, you must pray. Take time."—Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 159. "Pray much. . . . Without it you cannot maintain a Christian walk."—Ibid., vol. 2, p.313.
Shall we not heed God's admonition and discipline ourselves so that we may make prayer our first duty? "Those who will be translated at the close of time, will be those who commune with God on earth."—The SDA Bible Commentary, Ellen G. White Comments, on Gen. 5:22-24, p. 1087.
