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| With my new friends of the University of Illinois Chinese Christian Fellowship |
In the Old
Testament people prayed
Abraham
prayed. “Then Abraham prayed
to God, and God healed Abimelek, his wife and his female slaves so they could
have children again…”[1]
Isaac
prayed. “Isaac prayed
to the Lord on behalf of
his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered
his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.”[2]
Jacob
prayed. “Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father
Isaac, Lord, you who said to
me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper…’”[3]
Moses
prayed. “Moses then
left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord.[4]
When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the Lord and
the fire died down.[5] The people came to Moses
and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from
us.” So Moses prayed for the people.”[6]
Samson
prayed.[7]
Hannah
prayed.[8]
Samuel
prayed.[9]
David
prayed. “Nathan hears from God and shares this with David. Then King David went in
and sat before the Lord,
and he said: “Who am I, Sovereign Lord,
and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?”[10]
Elisha
prayed.[11]
Hezekiah
prayed. “In those
days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to
the Lord, who answered him
and gave him a miraculous sign.”[12]
Solomon
prayed. [ The Dedication of the
Temple ] “When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from
heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of
the Lord filled the
temple.”[13]
Ezra
prayed. “So we fasted
and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.”[14]
Nehemiah
prayed. “When I heard
these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and
prayed before the God of heaven.”[15]
Job
prayed. “After Job
had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored
his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.”[16]
Psalms
– the word “prayer” is used thirty-four times in the Psalms.[17]
Isaiah
prayed.[18]
Jeremiah
prayed.[19]
Elijah
prayed.[20]
All
the prophets prayed.
Jonah
prayed. “From inside
the fish Jonah prayed to
the Lord his God.”[21]
Daniel
prayed. “Then these
men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.”[22]
The early
church prayed.
“They all joined together constantly in
prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with
his brothers.[23] And: They devoted
themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at
the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles… Every day they continued
to meet together in the temple courts… And the Lord added to their
number daily those who were being saved.”[24]
And: “On their release, Peter and
John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and
the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their
voices together in prayer to God.”[25]
“Peter was kept in prison, but the
church was earnestly praying to God for him.”[26]
Peter prayed. “About
noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city,
Peter went up on the roof to pray. He saw heaven opened and something
like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.”[27]
Paul
and Silas prayed. “About
midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God,
and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a
violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken.”[28]
Paul
prayed. “God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching
the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all
times…[29]
And: Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”[30]
Jesus
prayed.
Jesus
was often found praying, in various contexts; e.g., in the synagogue, in lonely
places, etc.
Jesus
spent time in solitude. “Jesus began his ministry by spending 40 days alone in
solitude and prayer.”[32]
“Before
choosing the 12 Jesus spent the entire night alone in the desert hills
praying.”[33]
“When
he heard of John the Baptist's death Jesus "withdrew from there in a
boat to a lonely place apart."”[34]
“After
feeding the 5000 he dismissed the crowd and "went up into the hills by
himself" where he prayed.”[35]
After
a long night of work, "in the morning, a great while before day, he rose
and went out to a lonely place."[36]
After
healing a leper, Jesus "often withdrew
to the wilderness and prayed."[37]
Before
his time on the cross he went alone to the Garden of Gethsemane and
prayed.[38]
Jesus went out as usual [as was his
custom] to the Mount of Olives, to pray…[39]
If
the God-followers in the Old Testament prayed,
if
the early church prayed,
if
Peter prayed,
if
the apostle Paul prayed,
and
if Jesus took habitual solitary times of praying out of his own need to be in
contact with the Father,
should
I do any less?
If we
don't have time to pray, who do we think we are, All-Knowing God Almighty?
[1]
Genesis 20:17
[2]
Genesis 25:21
[3]
Genesis 32:8-10
[4]
Exodus 10:18
[5]
Numbers 11:2
[6]
Numbers 21:7
[7]
Judges 16:28
[8]
1 Samuel 1:10-13
[9]
1 Samuel 7:5
[10]
2 Samuel 7:18
[11]
2 Kings 6:17-20
[12]
2 Chronicles 32:34
[13]
2 Chronicles 7:1
[14]
Ezra 8:23
[15]
Nehemiah 1:4
[16]
Job 42:10
[17]
In the Psalms we see David as a prayer fanatic.
[18]
Isaiah 33:2 ff.
[19]
Jeremiah 12:1-13
[20]
1 Kings 18:36
[21]
Jonah 2:1
[22]
Daniel 6:11
[23]
Acts 1:14
[24]
Acts 2:42; 46-47
[25]
Acts 4:23-24
[26]
Acts 12:5
[27]
Acts
[28]
Acts 16
[29]
Romans 1
[30]
Romans 12:12
[31]
1 Corinthians 7
[32]
Matthew 4:1-11
[33]
Luke 6:12
[34]
Matthew 14:13
[35]
Matthew 14:23
[36]
Mark 6:31
[37]
Luke 5:16, emphasis mine
[38]
Matthew 26:36-46
[39]
Luke 22:39
