The Door of Prayer

                                  
     
                                   … Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight,
                                   and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in
                                   his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he
                                   from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut,
                                   and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
                                                                                                                                     (Luke11:5-7)


The needs of others can surprise us. When needs are presented which are beyond our faith, beyond any words of scripture we know and beyond all our personal experience, we discover we have nothing to set before them.  At the appearance of great need a sense comes over us that we have suffered a humiliating failure in God, one in which we ourselves are deficient, as if we are unfaithful stewards, because we have nothing to offer. We leave their company with a promise of future prayer, but as our private attempt begins, we come face-to-face with the door of prayer, a door which we have found shut.  

Our humanity is against us opening it: “It’s late”, “I don’t know how to pray”, “I am ashamed, for I have judged myself lacking!” Our culture is against us, for we have learned that to meet practical needs we must have practical activity, and prayer we have dismissed as exactly the opposite. Any need, weakness, or lack on our part is felt to be a shameful circumstance and not equal to the self-reliant backbone of our ancestors. We have kept the appearance of self-reliance, we have always played it safe, never place ourselves in a position in which we are not supported: financially, spiritually, and practically. Having done these things we ourselves have shut the door of prayer behind us, and these actions we have called wisdom.

The plan of God for prayer is a divine plan, made of divine wisdom, which hides the secrets of prayer from those without a heart after God. Hearts that look for systems or methods of approaching God may pray by closing their eyes offer a few pious requests and ending in the name of Jesus; but for them there is no answer from beyond the door. In the face of this surprising need we realize our own lack: we have no answers, no training and no method sufficient and when we turn toward the door of prayer we find it shut.

The entrance is opened to those possessed by faith, hope, love, humility, poverty and dependence upon God, even to those whom confess their need for such things; but curiously closed to those who have only heard of their existence, but possess not their substance. Feelings of helplessness, lack and dependence must be our constant companion in prayer; for when we have nothing to offer, this is all that is required.  

In the course of writing this entry I have been told that this is the most depressing few paragraphs some have ever read: I am inclined to say that they are right, but I will change them. We have for too long tried to reach God through our faith, our self-confidence and our doctrinal correctness; of such stones are the foundations of Babylon made, not the New Jerusalem. Come to the door of prayer with your need, lack, sickness, bankruptcy, shame, and pain; then He will meet you there and open. There you will find provision, for yourself and for others; you will find His sufficiency, a river flowing through the deepest parts of you.

... and yes, and He will answers your prayers too.