Mark 11:24

PRIVATE PRAYER

‘All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have received them, and ye shall have them.’

Mark 11:24. (R.V.)

Private prayer and meditation seem to be in special danger of being overlooked or misunderstood, and yet they are of paramount importance. There is among us, even in sacred things, a restlessness of much serving, a distraction of external excitements, of publicity, of display, which threaten to overwhelm the more silent and hidden duties of religion.

I. What is the nature of private prayer?—The text says that the answer to the prayer is coincident with the prayer itself. Prayer is the conscious and hearty acceptance of God’s will for us when we have first endeavoured to estimate our own wants. Prayer is in its purest form the echo of Christ’s voice in the believer’s heart, the voice of affectionate self-surrender and not of self-seeking. Private prayer demands the most serious reality of thought and expression.

II. What rules can be suggested for its guidance?—There must be careful reflection. To be real, our prayers must deal directly with wants which we individually feel. In order to learn the inspiring truth that working is praying, we must first learn that truth through which the inspiration comes, that praying is working.

III. The blessings of private prayer.—It is by prayer that we know that in the darkest hours we are not solitary or unfriended. It helps us to live in the world as in a holy temple of God. Prayer calms little jealousies; subdues human passions; brings us fullness of peace and joy.

—Bishop Westcott.

Illustration

‘There is a touching narrative of the opening hours of the reign of Queen Victoria. When the great announcement was made to her by the Primate, she said to him, “I ask your Grace to pray for me.” And when after the proclamation she retired to her mother’s apartments, there followed that conversation and that request of which the world afterwards heard with so much sympathy. “I can scarcely believe, mamma, that I am really Queen of England. Can it indeed be so?” “You are really Queen, my child,” replied the Duchess of Kent. “Listen how your subjects still cheer your name in the streets and cry to God to bless you.” “In time,” said Her Majesty, “I shall perhaps become accustomed to this too great and splendid state. But since I am Sovereign, let me, as your Queen, have to-day my first wish—let me be quite alone, dear mother, for a long time.” And that day Queen Victoria spent the first hours of her reign on her knees, praying to heaven for herself and her people with supplications innocent and noble.’

(SECOND OUTLINE)

FAITH AND PRAYER

No grace more highly commended in New Testament than faith. What is the faith we are to exercise in prayer? It is expectation founded on a promise. Promises are of different kinds—(a) absolute; (b) conditional. Importance of faith towards success of our prayers. (a) Without it, no prayer, even for the smallest blessing, can succeed; (b) with it, no prayer, even for the greatest blessing, can fail.

Learn therefore:—

I. The true nature of prayer.—It should not be regarded as a duty, but as a privilege, and should be as the coming of children to a father.

II. The folly of unbelief.—It builds a wall between man and God. But in exercising faith we must guard against presumption; for if faith be unhallowed and go beyond the promise it shall not be crowned with success.

III.—The wisdom of treasuring promises of God in our mind. These are the true ground and measure of our expectations from God.

—Rev. Charles Simeon.

Illustration

‘When Maimon went one day to Hillel, he was sitting in his garden under the shade of a palm tree meditating, and Maimon asked the master what he was meditating upon. Then Hillel said, “I have a friend who lives upon the produce of his estate. Till now he has carefully cultivated it, and it has well repaid his toil; but now he has thrown away the plough and the hoe, and is determined to leave the field to itself, so that he is sure to come to want and misery.” Said Maimon, “Has he gone mad, or fallen into despondency?” “Neither,” said Hillel. “He is of a pious disposition and well grounded in learning, both human and Divine. But he says that the Lord is omnipotent, and can easily give us nourishment without our bending our head to the ground; and as He is gracious, He will bless my table and open His hand.” “Why,” said the young man, “is not that tempting God? Have you not told him so?” Then Hillel smiled and said, “I will tell him so. You, dear Maimon, are the friend I am speaking of. Are you not tempting the Lord (by prayerlessness)? Is prayer less than work? Are spiritual blessings inferior to the fruit of the field? And He Who tells you to stoop your head to the earth for the sake of the earthly fruit, is He not the same as He Who tells you to lift your head towards heaven to receive His heavenly blessing?” Thus spoke Hillel, and looked up to heaven; and Maimon went away and prayed, and his life became a godly one.’

(THIRD OUTLINE)

LIMIT, RANGE, WARRANT

I. Prayer’s limit.—Is there a limit? Our text says, ‘All things whatsoever ye desire, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.’ Look more closely and you will find two boundary lines beyond which, if prayer range, it carries with it no certain promise—the boundary line of faith and the boundary line of desire—‘All things soever ye desire, believe and ye shall have them.’

II. Prayer’s range.—Whatever is necessary for your soul’s happiness and comfort, and for God’s glory, is bound up in the promises for those who seek them by prayer only. The compass of prayer comprehends everything in which an anxiety in temporal things can exist. All that is necessary, all, everything, is yours. You may ask for all you want and how much more to add, I know not, but it shall be sufficient for every need.

III. The warrant of prayer.—You must be very careful that you see your warrant—it is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Till you lay fast hold of the Atonement, you will have but very little power in prayer. If you have your eye fixed upon the finished work and death of Christ, you will have power in prayer, for the warrant of prayer is the death of Christ.

Illustration

‘Have we not been guilty of making a serious mistake in the way in which we have sometimes allowed ourselves to speak about prayer? How common it is to hear it suggested, “If you cannot do anything else, at least you can pray.” Surely that must be wrong. Surely it would be more true to say, “If you can pray, if you have in any degree acquired the holy art, then for God’s sake and man’s sake do not do anything else. Give yourself to it; continue on the mount with hands upraised. There will be no lack of fighters down below, who will triumph by the help of your prayers.” The man too busy for prayer is like a workman too busy to sharpen his tools.’