Prayer | thebereancall.org

Prayer

No man is greater than his prayer life. The pastor who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying. The pulpit can be a shopwindow to display one's talents; the prayer closet allows no showing off. Poverty-stricken as the Church is today in many things, she is most stricken here, in the place of prayer. We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, few pray-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere.

The ministry of preaching is open to few; the ministry of prayer—the highest ministry of all human offices—is open to all. This world hits the trail for hell with a speed that makes our fastest plane look like a tortoise; yet alas, few of us can remember the last time we missed our bed for a night waiting upon God for a world-shaking revival. The secret of praying is praying in secret. A sinning man will stop praying, and a praying man will stop sinning. We are beggared and bankrupt, but not broken, nor even bent.

Prayer is profoundly simple and simply profound....In the matter of New Testament, Spirit-inspired, hell-shaking, world-breaking prayer, never has so much been left by so many to so few. For this kind of prayer there is no substitute. We do it—or die!   —Excerpt from Leonard Ravenhill, Why Revival Tarries (quoted in TBC, September 2008)

Key Scripture verses related to "Prayer"

Old Testament:

  • 1 Samuel:9:16
  • 2 Samuel:22:7
  • 2 Kings:20:5
  • 2 Chronicles:30:27
  • Nehemiah:1:11
  • Psalm:5:3; Psa:18:6; Psa:34:6; Psa:66:20; Psa:69:13; Psa:102:1; Psa:102:17
  • Proverbs:15:8; Pro:15:29
  • Habakkuk:1:2

New Testament:

  • Matthew:21:13; Mat:21:22; Mat:23:14
  • Luke:6:12
  • Acts:1:14; Acts:12:5-11
  • Romans:12:12
  • Ephesians:6:18
  • Philippians:1:4; Phil:4:6-7
  • James:5:14-16; Jam:5:17-18
  • 1 Peter:4:7