Standing

“And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord.” –Genesis 19:27, ESV

Abraham, no doubt by curiosity, perhaps even by the sounds and shakes of judgment, takes his place on the high ridge where he “walked” with God (Gen 18:16) and pleaded his appeal (Gen 18:23). Here he stands, and here we must all “stand firm” (Eph 6:13) “by faith” (2Co 1:24), remaining “unmoved” (1Co 15:58) on God’s unfailing character (Psa 89:8).

It occurred to me, Abraham did not feel the need to go himself to rescue Lot, but trusted that his appeal to the LORD was his best and most potent course of action. Without mentioning Lot’s name, He wrestled with God’s character and persisted in the contest until he found the blessing of peace. 

Do I have this kind of faith? I have often treated prayer as a last resort, a Hail Mary. I bow the knee only after I have exhausted all my own strategies. OR, I use His sovereign hand as an excuse to remain by my tent and not go up at all to engage with God in the exchange—and thus fail to walk with Him (to this I grieve).

But God has shown me recently that the reason I find prayer tedious and unremarkable is because I have been praying like I’ve been taught—to babble like the Gentiles (Mat 6:7-8) who pester a passive deity to pay attention and do his job.

“Do not be like [the babbling Gentiles in prayer], for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. So pray this way: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored, may your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’” –Matthew 6:8-13, NET

For I am but a little man, powerless, and unable to turn a single heart or open a single eye. Thus, I yearn to have the faith of the Centurion, humble in heart and confident in Jesus’ power (Mat 8:5-13). I desire the faith of the Syrophoenician woman whose humble and persistent faith was content with crumbs (Mark 7:24-30) and undeterred by offenses (Mat 15:21-28)—whatever may come my way (Phi 4:10-13).

So I now ask the Lord, “Teach me to pray.” For I know not what I should pray, therefore submitting myself to the Holy Spirit for guidance (Rom 8:26), asking him to open my eyes to His will so that my mind can join in (1Co 14:15). I now approach my Father and King with reverence, asking HIM what HE desires of ME.

Prayer is not the stray piece of our spiritual armor that Paul mentions last as an afterthought, but the encapsulating practice that IS the armory of our warfare (Eph 6:13-18).

O, LORD, give me a grander view of prayer. Open my eyes to how it is the MOST effective of all strategies.