The Prayer Paradox

There are a number of aspects of church life which puzzle me; one of them concerns the subject of prayer.  On the one hand, most Christians would agree that prayer is an important part of Christian life.  Jesus himself was a man of prayer; we find as we read church history that just about every man or woman who was used in great ways by God was a man or woman for whom prayer was a vital component of daily life.  All this indicates that, in the words of hymn-writer James Montgomery, “Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath.”  And yet, paradoxically, it is my experience over many years that in most churches the prayer meeting is often the least well attended meeting of the week!

C.H. Spurgeon was a great nineteenth century Baptist preacher.  In Spurgeon’s time, steam was the power source of the day. Boiler rooms were the powerhouses, the driving forces of everything from vast machines in factories to household heating systems. Spurgeon saw the prayers of his people as the spiritual power behind his preaching and ministry (the prayer room was the ‘boiler room’ of the church!)  This is why he told his fellow pastors, “We shall never see much change for the better in our churches in general until the prayer meeting occupies a higher place in the esteem of Christians.”

I have recently been reading a book titled, “The State of the Church”, published in 1904, in which the author addresses issues relating to declining numbers and consequent lessening of Christian influence on society.  Recognising the situation to be serious, the author (Andrew Murray) highlights the fundamental issue: “As we contemplate the work to be done, we are conscious that the fundamental difficulty is not one of people or money, but of Spiritual Power.  The Christian experience of the Church is not deep, intense, and living enough, to meet the world’s needs.”

The subtitle of the book is, “A Plea For More Prayer”; again and again Murray stresses the urgent need for fervent prayer, as the Church seeks to open itself to the renewing power of God in order to fulfil its God-given mission.  He writes, “New methods can accomplish nothing unless begun, continued and completed in prayer, and permeated from first to last with the Holy Spirit of God.”  Some of my most precious and impactful memories from over the years come from times of prayer with other followers of Jesus.  Only the other day I came across some information relating to a city-wide Mission in Sheffield at the turn of the Millennium, when I and an Anglican colleague were asked to coordinate prayer support for the Mission.  The main events took place at the Sheffield Arena; a room below the main arena was used as a prayer room, and what amazing times we had!

Reading Murray’s book has challenged me about my own commitment to the life of prayer.  Am I, are we (the Church), taking seriously the call to prayer?  As we consider the challenges facing not only the Church but also our nation (and the world around us) we need to hear the words of Andrew Murray:

“It seems to me we have to get back to prayer.  O God, forgive us for our prayerlessness!  God knows what a prayerless people we are.  I do not wonder at things being as they are.”