Page 65 - The Importance of Prayer Student Textbook

Devote Yourselves to Prayer

Colossians 4:2, NIV: Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2, ESV:
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2, NLT: Devote
yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. If someone was to look at your life would
these words be used to describe you? If not, then are you living in obedience to the scriptures? John
14:15 tells us that if we love Christ, we will obey Him. And if we have an obedience problem then we
have a love problem. If we are ever to grow wider in ministry efforts, then we must first go deeper in
prayer.

Pithy Comments on Several Prayer Verses

Ezekiel 22:30 I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before
Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. This verse is one that greatly troubles
me. We can see from this passage that God is making a search. Unlike the gold miners I referred to in my
opening comments, God does not miss anything in His searching’s. He was looking for someone who
was standing before Him in prayer for the land. This is describing someone like Moses who stood in the
gap before God as described in Exodus 32:10, and Deuteronomy 9:14. Now therefore let me alone, that
my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great
nation. However, in this verse God said that He did not find anyone like Moses. I said I was troubled by
this verse and here is the reason why. I wonder if God were to do such a search today would he make
the same comment, “I found no one”?

II Chronicles 7:14If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and

seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin,
and will heal their land. I have already commented on this passage but because of the importance of it I
felt compelled to mention it again!

Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall
keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. KJV The New Living Translation words these verses this

way. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him
7
for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.
His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. These verses are self-explanatory.
We do not have to go through life worrying about the things of life because we have taken everything to
God in prayer.

Luke 11:9-10 And I say unto you, ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall
be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that
knocketh it shall be opened. In this text our Lord meets all the difficulties we find in prayer because He
gives us the weight of His own authority: “I say unto you”. Next, He presents us with a promise: “Ask,
and it shall be given you” and so on. Then He reminds us of an indisputable fact: “Everyone that asketh
receiveth”. Here are three mortal wounds for a Christians doubts about prayer.

64