“How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?”- Luke 11:13
The Bible teaches us much about the spiritual art of prayer to God, which we must learn and take to heart, young people!
First of all, we are taught that all of life’s issues are from our hearts. Therefore, we are to keep our hearts with all diligence; there is nothing so important as the keeping of our heart; it is the keeping above all keeping. (Proverbs 4:23) Small wonder that the Psalmist prays so fervently, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my strength and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14) Therefore we must be pure in heart! (Matthew 5:8) For to come into the presence of the LORD, we must have “Clean hands, and a pure heart, and we must not lift up our soul unto vanity, nor must we swear deceitfully,” when we approach the throne of grace in prayer. (Psalm 24:4)
He who prays, walks on the straight and narrow way which leads to life, and which way few there are that find it. Also in the matter of prayer there are many who walk the broad way. Their prayers are an abomination in God’s sight. God is far from the prayer of the wicked. They may make many prayers, but God will not hear them. (Isaiah 1:15; Psalm 18:35; 34:15, 16) If we regard iniquity in our heart, God will not hear us! God is a spirit and they who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24) How we must walk so that we serve the Lord in spirit and in truth. Then we will say, “but verily God hath heard me; He hath attended to the voice of my prayer”. (Psalm 66:19) Yea, we will continue and say, “Blessed by God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me.” (Psalm 66:20)
In order to pray to the Lord, we must have believing hearts! Let this truth sink deep into our souls! We must do this for our very life’s sake, young people. I am deeply concerned about you in this matter! Let us try to understand this a bit in depth together, shall we?
The first matter which, I believe, we ought to underscore, is that a believing prayer is very much concerned about the first table of the Law, the first and great commandment. The believer does not do this out of slavish fear, servile trembling, but he does this with holy awe and reverence. As much as he loves his life, he flees all idolatry, sorcery, superstition, soothsaying, learns rightly to know the only true God, trust in Him alone, expect all good things from Him only, and to glorify Him with the whole heart. That is a very important part of Christian thankfulness to God, which is both just and truthful. (Heidelberg Catechism, Question 94) See also Matthew 4:10 where Jesus rebukes Satan concerning his perversion of prayer, when he would tempt Jesus to worship him!!
The requisite of true prayer is one which befits the chief part of thankfulness to God. For that is what constitutes the essence of true prayer which is acceptable to God and which is heard by Him. The very heart-throb of our asking, seeking and knocking must be a thankful heart, the Christian gratitude which reveals itself in good works, which are out of faith, according to God’s law and which are unto His glory. That is the simple formula of good works, and also of prayer as the chief part of good works. Have you memorized this formula as found in Question 91 of the Heidelberg Catechism, my youthful reader? My reader with the hoary head, have you memorized this and practiced this more and more through your three score years and ten? May God grant it!
Have you followed me carefully so far? Good! Then we can proceed.
Our Reformed fathers who composed the Heidelberg Catechism were good Bible students with excellent exegetical skills. You will find them often referring to the “three things” which we must know, as believers who belong to Christ, in order to enjoy the only comfort in life and dying. The “three things” may not always be in the same order: misery, redemption and thankfulness, but they are always there. Also, these three elements form the proper requisites (not pre-requisites!) that is, what truly belongs to that prayer which is well-pleasing to God and is answered by Him. When one of these elements is missing or is deemphasized in our praying, there will be no true: asking, seeking and knocking, with the corresponding: receiving, finding and having the flood-gates of grace opened to us from the fulness of Christ. God only gives the operation of the Holy Spirit to those who with hearty sighing (sincere desires) and without ceasing storm the gates of heaven for the gifts of the Spirit upon His church in general, and upon us as believers in particular. This truth too should sink deep into our hearts.
Prayer is the chief part of thankfulness!
It is quite evident that the first part of thankfulness evidences itself in the fact that we stand in relationship to God as our Covenant God and Father as revealed in His Word. This means that we see God not only as the creator of the world, and upholder of all things; but that we see Him as revealed in the face of Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord. It means that you call God Father, who without respect of persons judges according to every man’s work. Yes, you stand consciously before this one true God, who alone is God, and whom to know is life eternal. You press forward and approach to God as your Father who loves you and established His love to you. You come as a new creature for whom old things have passed away and for whom all things are now become new.
However, for that very reason you come to God deeply conscious of your needs. You rightly know your need and misery as you come. You and I come as poor and needy sinners, whose conscience must be cleansed from the guilt of sin, and need to be assured of our being justified by God Himself the judge of heaven and earth! O what a need this is. God be merciful to me, a sinner. You come as the prodigal son, saying, “Father I am not worthy to be called thy son, make me as one of thy hirelings.” You say with the Publican in the temple, “God be merciful to me, the sinner”. (Luke 15:17, 18; Luke 18:13) Yes, you have come to yourself and see yourself in the light of the perfect, royal law of liberty. The picture you saw was not flattering, was it. And you did not become a forgetful hearer, so that you did not remember what manner of man you are. It was the picture of a spiritual leper, unclean by sin, guilt and corruption. Yes, that is reality, my youthful Christian reader. And we know it, we know it, do we not. Let us not forget this when we come to God in prayer.
But we are also sure that our heavenly Father hears us, hears us, ever anew each morning. We know that he gives freely, and never chides. Yes, we give good gifts to our earthly children, who we love so very much. We love them tenderly, yet we often are evil in this love. It is polluted with sin. We are parents who are “evil”, and not perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. But God gives His Holy Spirit to those who ask of Him. He sends the comfort of heaven, and washes us from the guilt and pollution of our sins, does He not? He does this for Christ’s sake only. Him He set forth a propitiation for our sins in the death of the Cross, that He might be just and a justifier of guilty sinners. Because He did not spare His own Son, but gave him over for us all, He will also freely give us all things with Him. (Romans 8:32)
Yes, my child, you cannot go to the Lord in your own worthiness, can you? There is only one way to the Father and to the throne of grace. It is as Jesus says, “through me”. I am the way and the truth and the life! No one cometh unto the Father but by me. (John 14:6)
That blood-sprinkled way is the new and living way which leads to God, the Father in the inner sanctuary of His throne. Approach that throne in true faith, in thankfulness for so great a gift of salvation; yes, even for the gift of prayer itself.
May the Lord Himself pour upon you the spirit of grace and supplication; may you look upon Him who was pierced for our sins, may we mourn as those who mourn in Zion, knowing that our heavenly Father’s grace is greater than all of our sins. (Zechariah 12:10; Romans 5:20, 21) Yes, ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, and knock and it shall be opened unto you. There is no exception to this rule for all who worship in spirit and in truth. For our Father in heaven is faithful as He has promised to hear our supplications and prayers!