Why We Need to Pray – by Desmond Ford

Feb 23, 2016 2766

PrayerIf there is a loving heavenly Father − and we need not doubt that until rocks rush to form a Taj Mahal or computers without fingers or electricity can churn out a Bible − he would want to talk to us. Because talking must always be a two-way street, all the great characters of the Bible were praying people. Abraham, Elijah, Jeremiah – all the prophets − Samuel, Hannah, Peter, and Paul, were all praying people. No wonder then that the Bible talks about prayer 350 times.

What, then, is prayer? Prayer is need finding a voice. Prayer is embarrassment looking for relief. It is the slipping through an open door to find our best Friend in the universe. (Remember, if we lived under the constant benediction of the supreme fact of the universe that God is love, our lives would be in constant peace.)

Prayer is slipping through a door that God has opened. Prayer is spilling out the heart. Prayer is telling God what upsets us, what concerns us. It’s telling God when we’re grateful for his help, when we need his guidance, when we want his forgiveness, when we’ve been stupid and fearful and anxious. And when we’ve messed everything up. Prayer is the little child going to the father and spilling it all out.

A Russian peasant said of prayer, “I lean my elbows on the windowsill and I look at him and he looks at me.” Prayer is a sharing.

Phillips Brooks, the great preacher who wrote, “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” saw a little boy standing on tiptoe, trying to press a buzzer outside the door of a house. Being a man of great kindness, Phillips lifted the boy up so he could press the button. Then the boy cried, “Now scoot!” and wriggled out of his arms and scooted. Phillips Brooks was left standing at the door to explain.

Prayer is not pressing the doorbell, then scooting. Prayer is listening as well as talking. Prayer is the key in the hand of faith to unlock heaven’s storehouse, wherein are stored all the treasures of omnipotence.

− Des Ford. Rom 8:27-32. Adapted from “The Marvel and Mystery of Prayer – Part 1.”

Eliezer Gonzalez

Feb 24, 2016

Thank you Pauline, for your beautiful words.

Pauline

Feb 24, 2016

Hi Dr. Ford Did you ever pray ? and felt the holy spirit. And you felt as if God was around you, almost touching? As if you were shacking you in a beautiful way, and very gentle ? Have you ever prayed and felt that your prayers had reach in front of the throne of God. Have you ever had an encounter with God in a dream . Maybe saw angels or the beauty of heaven and you were almost left as dead, tired for a week?. Your words seems to give such imagination to one such as I. Have you ever been awaken by a voice, you thought it would only come from heaven? I love your words. Be blessed Love in Christ Pauline

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