Last evening, while contemplating my Monday, a personal day of prayer and Bible study with the election heavy on my heart and mind, I began to watch the Worship Night in America video. As the introduction played along, I heard the following statements, and they greatly resonated in my heart!
Prayer is the language of the people of God.
Prayer is her native tongue.
Today marks the end of an election that has brought many things to the forefront of people’s minds, both positive and negative, but none greater among evangelicals, I believe, than prayer. How awesome to see in recent months the people of God at Boones Creek Bible Church express the language of Heaven, to meet together for three hours and cry out to God, to gather in small groups around the front of the church and speak our native tongue, to have a group gather every Monday for one hour or more to gather around the Throne of Grace, and even this past Sunday night to watch a remnant of the church broken before God in faith-believing, intercessory, confessional, repentive supplication that led to a crescendo of worship-filled song!
God loves to hear His redeemed pray, to cry out to Him.
Psalm 34:15 – The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry.
Psalm 66:19-20 – But certainly God has heard; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer nor His lovingkindness from me.
Proverbs 15:29 – The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.
Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One Who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the Throne of Grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Christ shed His blood to open the way to the Throne of Grace. He has given us a language, a native tongue, which identifies us as true believers reconciled back to God into the fellowship of grace and mercy through Christ alone. There is never a moment that we do not need God; we are desperate for Him every moment of our lives . . . and He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
Now that this election is hours from being over, may the passion for prayer and in prayer continue. Yes, prayer is the language, the native tongue of God’s people. It is the atmosphere of every believer.
Psalm 18:6 – In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 – Pray without ceasing.
From A Pastor's Heart 