The Prayer That Can't Stay Away

This is Andy Thomas from the Masculine Journey Podcast, where we discover what it means to be a wholehearted man. Your chosen Truth Network Podcast is starting in just seconds.

Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing the Truth Podcast Network. So today on Encouraging Prayer, we've got an interesting, an interesting title. It kind of had me confused because it was like the prayer that can't stay awake, but then I found out it was the prayer that can't stay away. Am I right?

That's exactly right. Although the prayer that can't stay awake is biblical, you know, you look at the garden of Gethsemane. But yeah, we're talking about the prayer that can't stay away, Ravi.

And what I mean by that is, is come closer. You know, we have a God who longs for us to pray. We have a God who wants our company. And so often we make prayer into this, this duty kind of thing.

And I think that's often why people stay away. You know, they think that they have to have the words just right, and they've got to have the circumstances just right so that they can pray. But Scripture tells us, you know, pray continually. Well, how can we do that? How can we do that if, you know, again, we're making prayer almost a ritualistic kind of thing? We've talked about this before in different ways. You know, one of the ways that we need to approach prayer is relationally. You know, we need to understand that it's all about keeping company with God. And if we just try that, that one thing, that's transformational, man.

Well, you know, it kind of fits together with the original title I thought you had said. When, you know, our church got on this, it was called a prayer wall, and everybody was to take their station on the wall. And we were going to have somebody on the wall praying 24 hours a day.

And so, you know, my time slot was like at 10 o'clock at night, whatever night it was, Tuesday night or Wednesday night. And the idea was that you're going to pray for an hour, and then you kind of hand the baton to the next guy on the list. And so I remember, you know, I was fairly new in Christ, really did not know much about prayer. And immediately, you know, within five minutes, every time I'd be sound asleep, because I had no sense of really how to pray and how to connect with God. Because honestly, you know, when I think about it, I can't even imagine now being in that position, because he never ceases to challenge me when I'm in prayer. But, you know, there was just a time of continuing to seek and to keep continuing to walk until he kind of teaches you, you know, how to do that. Well, and again, I really appreciate that, because if you think about it, you know, of course, we have trouble with praying when we think, how can I keep talking for one hour?

That was exactly what I thought I was supposed to do. Yeah, yeah. And it's not that. Of course, yes, some of it is that. But it's the kind of talking that, you know, isn't these and those. And I don't think we should really pray that way unless we talk to other people that way. I mean, did you talk to your own father that way? And I know that people mean that reverentially.

But at the same time, it should be as natural as possible. Yes, we recognize that the God that we're talking to is high and lifted up. But he also dwells, as this word says, you know, with those who are humble and contrite. In other words, he wants us to come to him just as we are, you know, he wants us to come to him. And we don't have to worry about having the words just right. You know, we can also recognize that that's being quiet in his presence and listening or just, again, being, just being with him. You know, not making it this rigorous mental exercise, what am I hearing?

Or what am I saying? But just, I love you, Lord, and it's so good to be with you today. I think when we learn to pray like that, it really is a breakthrough. Yeah, and for me, a huge breakthrough was through the 119th Psalm, where it talked about, order my steps in your word. In other words, even this morning, like, Lord, where do we, where do you want to go today in your word?

I mean, what do you want to teach me today? And so much fun this morning, you know, he was quick to respond. Well, what is your question? He actually asked me this, what is your question about the Shema, meaning, you know, Deuteronomy 6, 4, here, oh Israel, the Lord, the Lord is one, right? And so I'd forgotten that I had a question, but when he asked me, what's your question, all of a sudden, I went, I know what my question is. Why do you repeat Yahweh twice? Why do you repeat the Lord twice, right?

Like, what's up with that? He said, take a hard look at the word right after Yahweh, the last word in the prayer, which actually the Shema is a prayer that they pray, you know, all before they get up in the morning and when they leave the house and all that stuff. And so the word one at the end of, that says Ahad in Hebrew, the word one, actually the root or the first two letters of that word spell brother, and the idea that, you know, we are all brothers and we become one with each other, right? And what he's saying to an extent, if you really, you know, think about this, is Yahweh is your big brother, because Jesus is your big brother, right? I mean, we have the same Father and by His blood, we're His brother, and to have a brother like Jesus that is, you know, there to, you know, guide you in the way that actually stuff's supposed to be done is absolutely amazing, and how cool is it that, you know, like, Lord, you know, brother me today. You know, and the beautiful thing about this is, this isn't Jesus is my buddy kind of thing, this is recognizing He's also Adonai, you know, He is the Sovereign Lord who's over everything, but who also wants to be with us in this close and tender way. And because of that, we really can cast our cares on Him, and life really does become an adventure.

You know, when you think about the things that we don't pray about, that's another question you'd want to ask God, maybe, and that is, what do I not have because I do not ask? Darrell Bock Oh, wow. Oh, I love that question.

I'll have to try that one. Dr. Gerry Breshears But not in the sense of name it and claim it, but, you know, in the sense of, Lord, I love you, and, you know, the greatest opportunity of my life is knowing you. I mean, if, you know, we have the opportunity to sit down with someone famous and talk to them, we might be looking forward to that for days, but what's better than this?

And what could possibly be more? And to know that we are then loved in return and welcomed in return, and that God is so great that He's able to be that way, and He even misses our company. Darrell Bock This would be a good time to pray.

Dr. Gerry Breshears Okay. So, Father, thank you that we get to come to you. Thank you for your love that never lets us go.

Help us to never stay awake. In Jesus' name, amen. Darrell Bock You can hear more from Pastor James by visiting his website, jamesbanks.org, or by visiting Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray.