Do you have a burden to pray?

By: Steve Huston

Do you know what a burden is? We read in the Old Testament of prophets who had a burden from the Lord. We carry a burden until we get it to its destination – for the prophets, that meant delivering God’s message to the people. There’s only one place to deliver a burden of prayer; we must take that heaviness of heart to the throne of grace for help in time of trouble, depositing it at the foot of the throne and touching the heart of God for His answer. A burden of prayer is given to us from God, we carry it back to God, and, by His grace, He deals mercifully and bountifully with us. Do you have a burden to pray?

Last week Thursday was the National Day of Prayer (NDOP). We had a sweet season of calling out to God at the American Decency building with a humble group of kindred spirits; thank You, Lord. After this time of prayer, I had some conversations that were a particular blessing to me – some from those who prayed at our location and some with others who prayed elsewhere. I would like to take a few moments to share some thoughts which sprung from these heartfelt talks.

One friend asked me, “Shouldn’t EVERY day be a ‘National Day Of Prayer?’”

Jesus expects us to pray. In Matthew 6:5-7, we read the phrase “When thou prayest” three times. He doesn’t say, “If you pray,” but WHEN you pray. The early church had so much power – they were intensely prayerful, passionate, and persecuted. We could use a little more of that today. When persecuted, it drove them to prayer. It’s their prayers of faith which produced the passion that they had. Our nation and the church is in desperate need of prayer – let us be a fervently praying people daily.

Prayer needs to become our first response, not an afterthought.  

Nehemiah demonstrates that for us in Nehemiah 1:1-4; 2:1-4. So often we throw up our hands in resignation and say, “All I can do is pray!” Friends, prayer is not merely all you can do; it needs to be your first go to! Instead of a last response, it should be our first thought! Instead of worrying or complaining about things first; instead of trying to figure out how we can fix things first; our natural response should be to automatically pray first. I’ve come a long way in this regard, but I still have a long, long way to go.

Prayer is the best form of activism we can accomplish; it sets the foundation for any other activism we may feel led to do. However, that does not negate our responsibility to do more than pray. In the words of Jeremy Taylor, “Whatever we beg of God, let us also work for it.” As we often point out, God is sovereign but man has a responsibility to act as well. The Bible is replete with examples of this truth.

Are we diligently praying specifically for those in authority?

Paul exhorts us in 1 Tim. 2:1-6 to pray for all those in authority. We often think of those who are elected, but generally only those at the highest levels of authority like the president, Congress, Supreme Court, and maybe state governors. But I urge you to not forget local authorities: mayor, city council, library board, school board, etc.

Other authorities we sometimes forget are those who are self-appointed authorities – men and women who have power due to their riches or being appointed to positions of authority, including: George Soros, Bill Gates, Claus Schwab, etc. One of my conversations was with a dear saint who said, “I wish I had had enough courage to pray for George Soros (during the NDOP). I’ve never prayed for him. Can you imagine what might happen if he became a Christian? All that money and influence.” How might our world be changed if groups of saints gathered together to regularly, fervently pray for such men of wealth, power, and influence?

Power for our prayers:

Of course, we must have faith and believe that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6). We also must have humble hearts of repentance, turning away from anything the Holy Spirit reveals to us. It could be a form of unrealized pride, interfamily dynamics – particularly husbands (1 Peter 3:7), or some besetting sin we hold dear – Psalms 66:18 “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:”

Is it any wonder that David, a man who petitions God regularly, cries out to God that the Lord would teach him God’s law, statutes, and testimonies so that David might live them out and that he might teach them to others? He desired God to hear his personal prayers as well as the nation’s corporate prayers.

If we feel no burden to pray, perhaps that should be our first prayer – “Lord, give me a burden to storm the gates of Heaven; give me a burden to come boldly before your throne of grace, for we certainly are a people who are in a time of trouble.”

If not a burden, do we at least feel a desire to pray and commune with our Heavenly Father? The Apostle Paul calls us to pray without ceasing. Others have likened prayer for the Christian’s spiritual well-being as to our bodies’ need to breathe. I may not feel a burden to breath because it’s a natural automatic function, but if something keeps me from breathing, it won’t be long before I feel a burden to breathe again. Anything alive must breathe; what’s the condition of a soul which feels no compulsion to pray? It’s not just all we can do. Prayer is ALL we can do. It needs to be our first action.

Finally, share your specific burden of prayer with others.

If the Lord is leading you in any way to start a prayer group for a specific request – or generally – be obedient and put some feelers out there for others who may share that same burden. We are called to carry one another’s burdens and to come alongside one another. Regardless of what our burden for prayer is – revival, the church, national repentance, those in authority, or whatever it is – pray, carry your burden to the throne of grace, and, by faith, expect results all to the glory of God!

 

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